Thailand's Kasikorn research thinktank has completely reassessed their predictions for the number of foreign tourists likely to visit Thailand in the remainder of this year.
After earlier predictions of 250,000 to 650,000 arrivals they are now saying the likelihood is that it will be just 150,000.
Even this may be on the optimistic side given the situation in the country at present.
These figures were already much more conservative that those coming from the Tourism Authority of Thailand and tourism and sports minister Pipat Ratchakitprakan, notes ASEAN NOW.
Many people both inside Thailand and looking in from afar had deemed their predictions as little more than "pie-in-the-sky".
Kasikorn said, in a wide ranging report that looked at the changing face of tourism around the world in light of the rapid spread of the Delta variant, that Thailand was facing a "challenging time" with the country's severe pandemic crisis.
On top of this the country is also facing political instability that is also not conducive to promoting the kingdom as a place for international tourism.
Kasikorn referred to current conditions being faced in tourism markets across the world as a "fourth wave of the virus".
They pointed to limited success for the Special Tourist Visa and the Phuket Sandbox that were "well received" but noted that Thailand's tourism outlook was not rosy.
The country needed to look towards next year for any possible improvement in the numbers utilizing knowledge gained from experience of 2021.
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha on Wednesday announced Covid-19 restrictions could be eased next month amid signs the infection rate is slowing.
However, tighter Covid-19 safety measures were needed to combat the outbreak of Delta variant, he said via Facebook.
Prayut acknowledged the daily caseload had risen above 20,000 since lockdown measures were imposed last month, suggesting it was a terrible idea, but said the number of patients recovering is now higher than the infection rate.
He said his main concern was the fatality rate, especially among the vulnerable group of elderly people and those with underlying health conditions.
The rest of us, however, should not have to walk around wearing face nappies and living under totalitarian restrictions.
Thailand's daily Covid death toll is reported to have soared to a record 312 on Wednesday.
Is anybody questioning why such an announcement would come on the same day as record fatality numbers are claimed by the same government? Nobody smell a rat yet..?
Prayut said the infection rate will likely reach its peak this month before dropping in September. This would allow authorities to adjust the control measures and relax some restrictions on businesses and activities, he added.
This, of course , is something they can never know or predict.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) recently extended lockdown measures in Bangkok and 28 other provinces until the end of August.
The CCSA has meanwhile decided to elevate safety measures under the Universal Prevention method to be practised by every individual.
More stupid advice was imparted as follows:
Leave home only when absolutely necessary.
Stay at least 1-2 metres away from others outside.
Wear a face mask inside a cloth mask at all times, at home and in public, especially around elderly and high-risk groups.
Wash hands with soap or alcohol gel frequently, including before meals, after using the bathroom, after coughing, or after touching shared objects.
Avoid touching your face mask, face, eyes, mouth and nose.
People aged over 60 or with chronic conditions must avoid leaving home if possible. If not, they should minimise the time they spend outside.
Clean and sanitise frequently touched surfaces, equipment or physical environment.
Use separate personal items.
Eat freshly cooked food and do not share dishes or cutlery.
If you have Covid-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with an infected person or high-risk location, test yourself with an Antigen Test Kit or visit the nearest hospital.
"Please strictly follow these Universal Prevention measures amid this high-risk situation, and be patient," said Prayut. He also expressed gratitude for the work of medics, front-line personnel, volunteers and every organisation involved in the battle against Covid-19.
"We are seeking every solution to manage this crisis and revitalise the country and its economy as soon as possible," he concluded. Source – The Nation
The Thai government has defended its so called "mix and match" strategy of giving people a first dose of the Sinovac vaccine from China followed up by a shot of locally produced AstraZeneca.
Spokeswoman for the Center for Covid Situation Administration Apisamai Srirangsan said the cocktail helped to prevent infection and decrease the risk of serious disease, even death.
The news came as Thailand reported a record death toll in excess of 300 for the first time.
Apisamai was responding to doubts expressed over the efficacy of Sinovac as the health authorities in Thailand tried to procure 12 million more doses of the Chinese vaccine.
The authorities have cited studies into the cocktail being made by respected institutes like Chulalongkorn University, Ramathibodi Hospital and Sirirat Hospital.
The findings from more detailed studies are not due out for several months, however, according to Dr Opas Kankawinpong.
Sanook reported yesterday that the number of Thais innoculated with a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine was now more than one quarter of the entire population.
But only about one in fourteen had received the all important second dose.
They said that 24,100,631 shots had been jabbed so far.
Of these 18,370,997 or 25.5% of the population were first doses and 5,228,157 were second doses comprising 7.3% of the population.
Three doses had been administered to 501,477 people, many of these being frontline medical personnel and key workers.
General Information – Phuket Sandbox 7+7 Extension
7 nights in Phuket + 7 nights in selected areas in Krabi, Phang-Nga, or Surat Thani, and afterwards can travel to other destinations in Thailand.
TAT Newsroom
21 hours ago
2,148 5 minutes read
Bangkok, 17 August 2021 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to provide general information on the "Phuket Sandbox 7+7 Extension" programme, which is an upgrade on the existing Phuket Sandbox programme.
Starting from 16 August, 2021, the "Phuket Sandbox 7+7 Extension" programme offers fully vaccinated international travellers to reduce the mandatory stay in Phuket from 14 to 7 days, after which another 7 nights can be spent in Krabi (Ko Phi Phi, Ko Ngai, or Railay), Phang-Nga (Khao Lak or Ko Yao), or Surat Thani (Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan, or Ko Tao).
Measures to enter Thailand for Thais and non-Thai nationals
Pre-arrival
Travellers must travel from countries/territories approved by Thailand's Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) (see the list below), and must have been in the said countries for no less than 21 days before their travel date – except Thai nationals and foreign expatriates returning from overseas. They must apply for a Certificate of Entry (COE), using the following documents:
Copy of valid passport.
Copy of the payment confirmation for no less than 14 nights stay at SHA Plus-certified hotel/s and for RT-PCR tests via www.thailandpsas.com. If the length of stay is less than 14 nights, travellers must also present a confirmed flight ticket out of Thailand.
A certificate of vaccination against COVID-19 with a vaccine approved by Thailand's Ministry of Public Health or the World Health Organisation (WHO) no less than 14 days before their travel date.
Copy of an insurance policy in English covering healthcare and treatment expenses for COVID-19 per applicant for the whole duration in Thailand with coverage clearly identified as no less than US$100,000.
Travellers must undergo exit screening before departure, must and present all required documentation including a medical certificate with a laboratory result by an RT-PCR method indicating that COVID-19 is not detected no more than 72 hours before their travel date.
Travellers under 18 years of age, travelling with their parents or guardians, must have a medical certificate with a laboratory result by an RT-PCR method indicating that COVID-19 is not detected no more than 72 hours before their travel date.
Arrival
Travellers on direct, non-stop international flights to Phuket International Airport are subject to health screening, including a COVID-19 test*, and Immigration and Customs procedures at the point of entry. Click to see the "7-Step Flow at Phuket International Airport" or "7 Steps 7 Countdown".
Travellers must download and install an alert application, as well as set the application on at all times for the whole duration in Thailand.
Then proceed directly to the reserved hotel on the approved airport transfer service.
Wait for the result of the first COVID-19 test (conducted upon arrival or Day 0) in the hotel room only. If testing negative for COVID-19, travellers can go anywhere in Phuket
*Children under 6 years of age will receive a COVID-19 saliva test.
During the Stay
Travellers are required to take additional RT-PCR tests as per the following:
Travellers with a length of stay less than 7 days are required to take another test on Day 6-7.
Travellers with a length of stay between 10-14 days are required to take the second test on Day 6-7 and the third test on Day 12-13.
If testing positive for COVID-19, travellers will be referred to specified healthcare facilities for medical treatment, for which the expenses must be covered by the required insurance.
Phuket Sandbox
Travellers are welcome to visit Phuket only and can stay less than 14 nights. However, they must leave Phuket immediately on an international flight to another country.
During the stay, they are still required to take additional RT-PCR tests on Day 6-7 and/or on Day 12-13.
Travellers must have completed 14 nights in Phuket before being allowed to visit other Thai destinations than the selected areas in Krabi, Phang-Nga, or Surat Thani. They must also have tested negative for COVID-19 for two more times on Day 6-7 and Day 12-13.
Phuket Sandbox 7+7 Extension
Before being allowed to travel to the selected areas in Krabi, Phang-Nga, or Surat Thani, travellers must obtain a 'Transfer Form' issued by their hotel in Phuket indicating that they have stayed in Phuket for 7 nights, which they will need to show together with the negative results of their two COVID-19 tests (conducted on Day 0 and Day 6-7 in Phuket).
Travelling from Phuket to the selected areas in Krabi, Phang-Nga, or Surat Thai is available only via approved routes and approved modes of transport.
Surat Thani (Samui Plus – Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan, or Ko Tao) can be reached via Bangkok Airways' direct domestic flight on the Phuket-Ko Samui route.
Krabi (Ko Phi Phi, Ko Ngai, or Railay) can be reached by SHA Plus-certified boat and ferry services from two approved piers – Ao Po Pier and Rassada Pier.
Phang-Nga (Khao Lak) can be reached by SHA Plus-certified car transfer services from Phuket direct to the SHA Plus-certified hotels.
Phang-Nga (Ko Yao Noi or Ko Yao Yai) can be reached via SHA Plus-certified boat and ferry services from three approved piers – Ao Po Pier, Ao Po Grand Marina, and Bang Rong Pier – to Ko Yao Yai's Chonglat Pier and Ban Laem Yai Pier and to Ko Yao Noi's Manoh Pier.
Once travellers have completed the 7-night extension in Krabi, Phang-Nga, or Surat Thani, and have tested negative in their third COVID-19 test (conducted on Day 12-13), they will receive a 'Release Form' from their hotel, and will be able to continue their journey to other destinations in Thailand.
If the stay in Krabi, Phang-Nga, or Surat Thani is less than 7 nights, travellers must proceed directly to Phuket International Airport on the day of departure. At the port of entry back into Phuket, they will need to show a plane ticket or other proof of their international travel from Phuket.
While in Thailand, travellers are advised to continue with the D-M-H-T-T-A precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19: D – Distancing, M – Mask wearing, H – Handwashing, T – Temperature check, T – Testing for COVID-19, and A – alert application.
International / Domestic Departure
For travelling from Phuket to other countries, travellers are advised to follow the guidelines and measures announced by the respective country of their destination.
For travelling from Phuket to other Thai destinations, travellers are required to show proof that they have completed a 14-night stay in Phuket together with the negative results of their three COVID-19 tests along with other required documentation per the guidelines and measures announced by the respective destinations.
For travelling from Krabi, Phang-Nga, or Surat Thani to other Thai destinations, travellers are required to show proof that they have completed a 7-night stay in Phuket and another 7-night stay in Krabi, Phang-Nga, or Surat Thani together with the negative results of their three COVID-19 tests along with other required documentation per the guidelines and measures announced by the respective destinations.
Daily News reported on the latest cabinet meeting chaired by Thai PM and defence minister Prayuth Chan-ocha via video conference.
The PM called for the health ministry to have a clear plan for vaccine procurement for 2022 and to start on that now.
The PM stressed advance planning and transparency in providing first, second and third doses of vaccine.
This was needed to prevent confusion, he noted.
This has proved to be difficult so far, he said, because of dealing with producers.
But he claimed that so far "we have done quite well".
But next year it needs to be good.
He said he was concerned about the supply of Astra Zeneca as some of it would be out of date this month. Again he ordered the MoPH to get moving.
The ministry assured the PM his word would be done and no vaccines would pass their sell by date.
It was noted that the MoPH had assured the country that 70-80% of Thais would be vaccinated by the end of the year and he called on provincial authorities to make sure they were vaccinating the population with deliveries they were given.
He warned against corruption in the vaccine delivery promising especially in the repetition of names that people found guilty would lose their jobs or be forced to resign.
Air Force claims vaccine 'VIP SCANDAL' is just admin error
Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital and the Royal Thai Air Force's Directorate of Medical Services have rejected claims made by the hospital's staff that their quota for Covid-19 mRNA booster vaccines are being used up by VIPs who are not working on the frontline.
Instead, the directorate and the hospital blamed the controversy on human error, saying an administrative mistake led 172 hospital staff to miss out on their allocated Pfizer booster shot.
The suspected vaccine quota fraud came to light after several staff at Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital revealed that the hospital only received 1,680 doses of the Pfizer jabs, despite having ordered 3,000 doses to cover its personnel.
They also revealed the names of 1,611 people who received the shots on Friday and Saturday — 172 of which were marked as suspicious.
Thanwit Saengprapha, chief of the directorate, and Isaraya Sukcharoen, director of the hospital, yesterday insisted the booster shots were not being diverted away to VIPs.
Lt Gen Thanwit said the list of names produced by the hospital staff members was a result of data entry errors that occurred as administrative staff moved vaccine recipients' data from one system to another.
He said 3,700 doses of the booster shot have been administered so far. By next week, all available booster shots should be administered, he added.
AVM Isaraya assured all 1,500 hospital workers will receive their booster shots as previously announced.
About 1,000 other people, who include other hospital workers and technicians who have to work near Covid-19 patients at the hospital, will be next, she said.
Out of the hospital's 3,000 staff, 600 had already been given an AstraZeneca shot as their third shot.
Lt Gen Thanwit added he wasn't worried about activist Srisuwan Janya's pledges to petition the air force to probe the alleged mismanagement of Covid-19 vaccine distribution. – Bangkok Post
Stop Moaning About Pattaya Beach Trees: They're Not Special & Project Needs to Proceed Now
Pattaya residents rightly have a lot of reasons to complain these days, but beachfront trees aren't one of them.
A long-planned beachfront facelift got underway Sunday – and was halted Monday – by protests both on- and off-line about the cutting of shady trees lining Beach Road, as well as the timing of a revamp in the middle of a pandemic.
While the optics of launching a 166-million-baht landscaping project, even as thousands of Pattaya residents are queuing daily for free-food handouts, are terrible, complaining about cutting and uprooting common sea almond trees is just stupid.
Even Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome seemed mystified Tuesday by the online uproar by anonymous keyboard warriors and the objections raised by a handful of protestors Monday. With the exception of maybe one, none of the trees to be removed is special and most of them weren't even in the ground eight years ago.
The moaners obviously have a short memory: Large numbers of trees were removed in 2013 when Beach Road was widened during one of the many Pattaya Beach facelifts in the past 20 years.
Photo: Bangkok Herald
Then, just as now, trees were replanted and all the shade return, allowing people to escape the sun and hookers and ladyboys to lie in wait. But eight years ago, 3.5 meters of foliage was taken out to add a lane to Beach Road. No one complains about that now, of course.
Kvetching is nothing new for the Thai Visa – sorry, "ASEAN Now" – crowd of bitter old Yanks and Eurotrash. Plenty of them got hot and bothered when Nong Nooch Landscape & Garden Design Co. – the lead contractor on the Pattaya Beach project – began hacking and pulling out even older and larger trees on Jomtien Beach as it began a 550-million-baht facelift there.
Just as in Pattaya two years before that, all new trees were added and the completed Jomtien Beach landscaping work is widely seen as a glowing success.
Sonthaya, speaking to the media, rightly pointed out that sea almonds are common soft woods that grow like weeds. They are not unique or highly prized.
The soft wood, however, is easily broken during any high wind or storm. Branches even snap under the weight of coconuts. The falling wood and fruit pose constant danger to beach vendors and users, Sonthaya said.
Photo: Bangkok Herald
The trees will be replaced with harder wood that provides as much, if not more, shade, he said.
None of this should be news to Pattaya's residents, Sonthaya observed: The project has been in the works since 2019 and had been detailed in public hearings. No doubt the Facebook bitchers never bothered to go to one.
As for the price tag and timing, that's a different matter. But, again, Pattaya and its mayor are on sound ground. All the grousing about spending 166 million baht now, as the city's economy crumbles, is based on ignorance and false assumption.
The new beach facelift had been planned ever since work to widen the beach to 35 meters was completed in 2018. It was officially proposed to the Pattaya City Council last year and the first installment of funding was approved by the Interior Ministry for the fiscal 2020-21 budget, which began in October.
During that time, Pattaya was fully open, Covid-19 was in remission and planning for a post-pandemic world was in full swing.
The revamp, Sonthaya argued at the time, was aimed squarely at Thai tourists on which Pattaya would rely until foreign tourists returned in large numbers. Thais need parking and the new plan calls for 700 new spaces. Eveyrone needs restrooms, and the plan includes three of them.
Pattaya Beach always has lost business to Bangsaen, Bang Saray and even Jomtien Beach because of its lack of parking and faciliites. If Pattaya Beach and the hundreds of vendors that work it and downtown businesses that depend on it hoped to be competitive after the pandemic ends, the overhaul was needed.
It still is. None of those reasons has been negated just because the government botched its vaccination campaign and allowed Covid-19 to burn through society in 2021.
So, even though it looks bad, Pattaya had no choice but to begin the renovation now. The money had already been disbursed and the city legally cannot reallocate to the 166 million to coronavirus relief or anything else.
It's "use it or lose it": Pattaya must spend the money before Sept. 30 or it reverts to the Finance Ministry and the entire project gets delayed by at least 14 months. By that time, tourists would be back, but have nowhere park or pee.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has a lot of explaining to do over why another 12 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine were included in its August-September Covid-19 jabs procurement plan.
CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin said on Monday that the centre's board chaired by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha had approved a proposal to secure at least 10 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines for September.
The plan is to cover vulnerable groups -- the elderly, people with underlying diseases and pregnant women -- as quickly as possible in order to reduce the number of fatalities.
The centre has an ambitious plan to inoculate at least 70% of the elderly in every province by next month.
That is apart from giving a second dose to those who have received their first one, providing vaccine coverage in areas where new clusters break out and where tourism and economic recovery activities are planned.
There are no questions about the validity of the plan. At present, there is no other way to curb the Covid-19 pandemic except by mass vaccination.
Since new infections have shown no signs of slowing down despite weeks of semi-lockdown, the quest for more Covid-19 vaccines has become even more urgent.
What is questionable, however, is the CCSA's decision about which vaccines it will procure next.
According to the spokesman, the CCSA endorsed the proposal by the Public Health Ministry to reserve another 10 million doses of Pfizer shots, procure another 12 million doses of Sinovac and find another 10 million doses of other brands of Covid-19 vaccines this year.
But why do we need to buy more Sinovac?
In justifying its vaccines procurement proposal, the Public Health Ministry said the jabs are urgently needed to fight the predominant Delta variant which is spreading fast in the country.
But the ministry knows the efficacy of Sinovac vaccines remains in doubt against the Delta strain. That is why it switched from two doses of Sinovac to a mix-and-match formula using the Sinovac vaccine as the first dose to be followed by AstraZeneca as the second dose.
The formula is the first of its kind and has not been adopted anywhere else in the world.
While the Public Health Ministry said the results have been satisfactory with people receiving the mix-and-match formula showing a high level of immunity in a short period of time, the long-term efficacy and practicality have yet to be confirmed as the rollout only started in late July.
An article by Thai doctors published in medRxiv highlighted a low level of neutralising antibodies generated by Sinovac when compared to natural infection. It suggested that booster doses beyond the conventional two-dose regimen may be needed to maintain the immune response.
The question then is if the efficacy of Sinovac against the Delta variant, presently found in more than 90% of the new infections in the country, remains in doubt, why would we want to buy more?
If we take into account the cost-effectiveness, why should the country spend money on vaccines that may or may not work against the prevailing Covid-19 variant, which also most likely require booster doses which will in turn cost the country more to procure?
Why didn't the CCSA opt for mRNA vaccines for its future procurement plan? Why does it stick to Sinovac despite its debatable qualities? The CCSA owes the public a detailed explanation.
