Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha attends an agreement signing ceremony for the purchase of AstraZeneca vaccine at Government House on Nov 27, 2020. (Reuters photo)
Controversy is flaring up over a "political deal" to unseat Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha after some MPs from smaller parties in the government coalition confirmed the plot exists.
Among small coalition parties approached to join the move to cast no-confidence votes to oust the PM is the New Palangdharma Party.
Party leader Rawi Matchamadon said small parties are a key factor in the current political situation, confirming that a report about key figures in the ruling-Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) and the opposition Pheu Thai having struck a deal to vote against Gen Prayut and remove him from power is true.
Currently, there are nine small government coalition parties, each with one MP, Mr Rawi said, adding there are also coalition parties with less than 10 MPs such as the Chartthaipattana and New Economics Parties.
They have about 20 votes combined, he said, adding if the small parties joined the opposition in voting against the PM, they would have about 212 votes, which are enough to unseat Gen Prayut, he said.
If they could remove the PM from power, a new prime minister is unlikely to be chosen from a list of current prime ministerial candidates submitted by parties, meaning an outsider could be elected, he said.
Most importantly, the outsider must have the backing of the PPRP and Pheu Thai first because the two parties have 250 votes combined, before gathering support from smaller parties, Mr Rawi said.
"I admit that in parliament, there have been talks about who will stand a chance of becoming the next prime minister, and that candidate must be approved by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra," he said. "This formula can materialise only when the PPRP and Pheu Thai join hands."
The government is facing a grilling from the opposition during a four-day no-confidence debate that started on Tuesday, with votes to be cast on Saturday. The debate targets the PM and five cabinet ministers.
On the third day of debate on Thursday, Wisarn Techathirawat, Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Mai, accused Gen Prayut of paying 5 million baht to some MPs in exchange for votes of support.
"I take responsibility [for the following remarks]," he said. "MPs went to the PM's room [in parliament] to receive 5 million baht."
"How come?" he said.
This prompted Weerakorn Khamprakop, a PPRP MP for Nakhon Sawan, to respond by saying he just left the PM's room and the allegation is false.
"We only wanted to offer moral support to the prime minister," Mr Weerakorn said. "We did not take any money. [The allegation] is an insult."
"How come the MPs can receive the money in these premises," he added. "That's utter nonsense."
Gen Prayut yesterday denied the allegation, saying "I confirm that I did not do that. [The MPs] came to greet me."
The move to topple Gen Prayut was engineered this week and involves PPRP heavyweights, including Capt Thamanat Prompow, the party secretary-general, and some renegade members of the ruling party as well as a coalition of micro-parties and politicians in the main opposition Pheu Thai Party.
They colluded to form a plan to cast no-confidence votes against Gen Prayut, according to sources.
Rumours regarding the deal emerged after Pheu Thai decided to exclude Prawit Wongsuwon, PPRP leader and deputy prime minister, and Capt Thamanat from the no-confidence debate.
This prompted critics, particularly members of the Move Forward Party, which is in the opposition camp, to question whether the two parties had struck a secret political deal.
After the first day of the debate, a rumour regarding the move to topple Gen Prayut intensified when political observers noted that Gen Prayut was subjected to fierce attacks from opposition MPs while government MPs did not do enough to leap to his defence as in previous no-confidence debates.
This led to a rumour about a House dissolution and a shift in the political alliance after the debate. As a result, Gen Prayut had to quash the rumour, insisting he would stay on until the coalition government completes its four-year term in 2023.
However, the PM admitted that he was aware of the rumour about the political deal to oust him.
Sources said that such a deal was the result of a rift between Gen Prayut, Gen Prawit and Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda.
The problem arose when Gen Anupong rejected a request by Gen Prawit who wanted Jatuporn Buruspat, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, to be appointed as permanent secretary for interior, the sources said.
Mr Jatuporn is reportedly known to have close ties with Capt Thamanat.
Both Gen Prawit and Capt Thamanat wanted Mr Jatuporn to serve as permanent secretary for the interior to support the PPRP's arrangements for the next general election, the sources said.
A PPRP source said that previously there were about 40 MPs from various parties ready to oust Gen Prayut. However, supporters of the PM managed to persuade about 20 of them to switch back support, the source said.
The chief of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has put the biggest stick yet in the spokes of Prayuth Chan-ocha's 120 day reopening plan.
The Thai PM wanted the country opened by the middle of next month to foreign tourists in many areas.
His plan was criticized as ambitious in some quarters, utterly unrealistic in others.
His pronouncements came back in June as the country began to battle a massive third wave of infections caused by Covid-19. But still the PM insisted his plan was viable and that locally produced vaccine would save the day.
ATTA chief Sittiwat Chiwarattanaporn begs to differ on virtually all counts.
In a wide ranging interview with Thai business media he said that the Phuket Sandbox and associated plans were a fair start but numbers were very low.
There just wasn't the market among inbound foreigners.
He said that what the authorities failed to understand was that it was not just about Thailand's tourism readiness.
It was about all the countries tourists would come from. They all had their rules and their economic woes.
China, for instance, was just non-existent as a tourism market at the moment due to travel restrictions.
Sittiwat said he could see no positive signs in regards to the return of foreign tourists this year.
He predicted that it would be Quarter 4 next year before there would be any marked improvement in inbound tourism.
Operators would have to get used to that reality and make do with what they could with the domestic market in the meantime.
He called for greater clarity from the government about their reopening plans and a greater accent on getting at least 70% of the country vaccinated to create a so-called herd immunity.
BANGKOK (NNT) - The Prime Minister has maintained his government is doing all it can to provide vaccinations to the public, on the third day of the no-confidence debate in Parliament.
The opposition continued to focus on the government's COVID-19 response on the third day of the censure debate in the House of Representatives, accusing the administration of failing to acquire an adequate quantity of vaccine, and pointing out that it spent just over 3.9 billion baht in purchasing Sinovac doses, despite receiving approval for 5.5 billion baht over five programs, resulting in a difference of over 1.6 billion baht. The opposition stated that neither Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha or Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Chanvirakul had clearly addressed the matter. The opposition side also called on the PM to clarify if he had ever ordered that Antigen Test Kits purchased by the state needed to be approved by the World Health Organization, pointing out that it recorded such an order on August 16.
Gen Prayut responded by saying the government has been adjusting its response plan in line with COVID-19 Delta strain, which has impacted nations across the globe. He detailed that since May of this year, measures such as proactive screening, field hospitals, high control zones and lockdowns have been employed.
The premier confirmed that an effort is ongoing to vaccinate as many citizens as possible, noting that Thai physicians developed the mixed vaccine approach to enhance efficacy, and addding that booster shots are also being provided. He pointed out that infection rates are dropping, indicating the undertaking is achieving its objectives. He refuted claims that there was any malfeasance in terms of the specifications for Antigen Test Kits, in the interests of any particular party, stating the process is being undertaken carefully and warning the opposition against presenting false documentation in Parliament.
Gen Prayut called opposition claims of overpriced vaccinations false, elaborating that prices were set by sellers and that other expenses, such as transport and management, have to be accounted for. On why Thailand did not join the COVAX program, the PM said it was a decision based on the best interests of the public, as the project does not allow for the selection of particular vaccines or any changes to delivery schedules. He underlined that the administration is using its private sector and diplomatic connections to acquire vaccines and should hit its targets within the year.
Public Health defends 'Mix & Match' vaccination approach with Sinovac
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The mixed vaccination with the first dose of Sinovac inactivated vaccine followed by the second dose of AstraZeneca viral vector vaccine is the basic standard of vaccination for Thai people in Thailand, said Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr Kiattibhoom Vongrachit as he defended the "mix and match" formula, its safety and efficacy in the prevention of severe cases or deaths among those vaccinated.
Dr. Kiattibhoom also pleaded with opposition MPs to refrain from speaking negatively about the quality of the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine in a way which may fuel public confusion or mistrust of the vaccine.
He, nevertheless, said that the Ministry of Public Health would procure more effective vaccines for the Thai people, which can cope with new variants of coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Medical Sciences Department Director-General Dr. Supakit Sirilak said that the mixed inoculation of Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines is as effective as two doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, but the first vaccination formula can be administered faster and will cover twice as many people inoculated due to the availability of Sinovac vaccine, as opposed to other makes.
Dr. Supakit disclosed that, so far, 1.5 million people had already been administered with the mixed Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines and they are safe, adding that, in the next step, about 3 million people who were fully inoculated with two doses of Sinovac vaccine will be given the third booster shot with AstraZeneca vaccine.
But he noted that the research study on the "mix and match" vaccination, conducted by the Medical Sciences Department and the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj hospital is not published yet under the present circumstances and it will take some time.
Disease Control Department Dr Opart Karnkawinpong also defended the "mix and match" vaccination formula, saying it has been approved by several Thai and foreign medical organizations as well as the National Communicable Disease Committee.
As the coronavirus is constantly mutating while new vaccines are being developed to cop with the emergence of new variants, he said that the existing vaccines have become less effective against the new variants but they still can protect those inoculated from becoming seriously sick or dead from the disease.
On the third day of the censure debate In the Parliament this morning (Thursday), Pheu Thai MP Jiraporn Sindhuprai questioned why Thailand paid about 100 baht per dose more than Indonesia, India and the Philippines did in procuring Sinovac vaccine from China.
Pheu Thai MP Jiraporn Sindhuprai
She also expressed doubt about why the Public Health Ministry had sought cabinet's approval for 5.5 billion baht to procure Sinovac vaccine from China in several lots, but the actual prices paid were about 1.6 billion baht lower than the fund allocated as she indicated that there might be kickbacks in the procurement deal.
She said that the Pheu Thai Party would, later on, ask the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the Sinovac vaccine deal to determine whether there are kickbacks in the deal.
Sinovac currently makes up the majority of vaccines Thailand has received, at about 25.5 million doses so far. Up to 33.42 million vaccine doses have been administered so far, with 8.68 million people being fully vaccinated with two doses, or about 12.5% of the entire population, and over 595,000 others receiving their third booster shots.
Readers survey has some good news for the government as problems grow for the Phuket Sandbox with a 'crisis' now on the island according to the Governor of Phuket Narong Woonsiew as COVID-19 infections are rising. Economists are plotting the course of Thailand's GDP as the rest of the country eases COVID-19 restrictions and plans a wider reopening to foreign tourism due in October. In the meantime, the Thai baht has gained ground against the US dollar by 3.6% since August 10th, just days before the peak of the last virus wave.
The Thai government is setting out its stall to avoid another year of economic contraction with relaxed public health measures from the 1st of September and plans for a controlled reopening of the kingdom to foreign tourism in October. Some analysts believe it could lead to the kingdom's economy growing marginally in the order of 0.7% in 2021 supported primarily by export growth and over 500,000 foreign tourists in the last three months of the year under wider entry criteria from October 1st. An ongoing Thai Examiner survey of readers outside Thailand in recent days has shown 90% are interested in visiting Thailand again with 13.3% saying they would visit under the government's demanding Certificate of Entry programme, a result which may be encouraging news for the kingdom's limited ambitions but shows the highly retardive effect of the controlled entry process.
Bank of Thailand senior director at the Economic and Policy Department Chayawadee Chai-Anant has questioned how soon consumer confidence will rebound and the continued resurgence of exports after identifying problems in July and August in the sector. July's exports although over 21% up on last year's performance were down 0.8% on June's figures. It comes as Phuket's Governor Narong Woonsiew has declared a 'crisis' on the island with a growing COVID-19 outbreak which threatens the already slowing Phuket Sandbox foreign tourism pilot scheme.
The Bank of Thailand issued a wary assessment on the future outlook for the economy on Tuesday even as the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) reassessed its earlier bleak assessment, issued in August at the height of the COVID-19 Delta wave of the virus, that the kingdom's economy could contract by as much as 1.5% in 2021.
It comes as COVID-19 restrictions are being eased in Bangkok and adjacent provinces which account for 80% of GDP as the government moves to drive economic recovery in the last quarter of 2021 on the basis that the third wave of COVID-19 peaked in mid-August and armed with newly signed contracts for more vaccine doses from key manufacturers.
Baht is gaining against the US dollar since August 10th, it's value has appreciated by 3.6% in weeks
This has been accompanied by an upwards tick in the Thai baht which has gained 3.6% against the dollar since the 10th August, just a few days before the peak of the current wave between the 13th and 16th August, rising from a value of ฿33.47 to the US dollar to just ฿32.20 on Tuesday.
This will prompt concern that speculation on the baht may have resumed in anticipation of a tourist-led recovery even though in July, the kingdom recorded a monthly current account deficit of $700 million following a $1.3 billion shortfall for June.
The new Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB)'s prediction is that the economy will grow marginally in 2021, a mirror opposite of its earlier prediction suggesting up to 1.5% contraction was likely in August.
Economy projection moves from projected contraction to marginal growth on the back of predicted higher export growth
The business body based this new figure on the kingdom now achieving export growth of between 12% and 14% this year despite earlier fears that it would be capped at only 7% as factories in July and August reported disruptions due to the COVID-19 virus and supply chain issues.
The economic and business monitoring group also expressed more confidence in the government's stalled vaccine programme.
It believes now that this will be fully ramped up as the country approaches the fourth quarter of the year.
A government spokesman on Sunday suggested that with 140 million doses to be delivered between now and the end of 2021, it would be able to achieve the administration of 600,000 doses a day from October.
Reappraisal of growth prospects as curbs are eased and progress on vaccine procurement reported
They are also relieved that the peak of the COVID-19 virus wave appears to have passed.
'Last month we didn't get the picture and had no confidence in vaccine procurement which could lead to longer lockdown measures,' JSCCIB boss Mr Payong Srivanich told a press conference. 'But today we believe in the government's figures and that infection numbers have peaked.'
This newfound confidence is not universal, however.
Caution advised by senior Bank of Thailand director
Chayawadee Chai-Anant, Economic and Policy Department senior director of the Bank of Thailand, in her assessment on Tuesday, noted that exports for July, while they were up 21.7% on last year, were down by 0.8% on June's performance.
This was the first time this had happened since the end of 2020 when the export recovery began.
On September 29th, the Monetary Policy Committee of the central bank will meet to discuss whether to lower the country's historic 0.5% baseline rate with 3 votes on the seven-member panel in August favouring a reduction of 25 basis points to a new low of 0.25%.
The senior bank official suggested that more information will be available at that point, to more accurately ascertain the outlook heading into Quarter Four.
Easing of economic restrictions will help but wider economic recovery based on foreign tourism reopening cannot be assumed at this point
The easing of COVID-19 restrictions will certainly help the domestic economy which has suffered in July and August because of the lockdown ushered in from the end of June and which saw private consumption fall by 5.3% and private investment off by 3.8% in July.
The government is also banking on resurrecting the almost wiped out foreign tourism industry which is only predicted to achieve 150,000 visitors this year.
It is understood that the Tourism Authority of Thailand and government agencies are targeting up to 500,000 visitors by the end of the year under a widening of quarantine free schemes for fully vaccinated global travellers but still using a controlled entry process.
The planned reopening from October 1st is an extension of the Phuket Sandox dispensation to other tourist hotspots and provinces under local plans drawn up by tourism promotion agencies in Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and Bangkok across 5 more provinces.
Tourism minister confirms reopening schedule in parliament during government no-confidence debate
The country will see a wider reopening along those lines by the middle of October which will be extended to twenty one more provinces from October 15th according to Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn speaking on Tuesday in parliament during a no-confidence debate on the government.
Minister Phiphat made it quite clear that Thailand will still be operating in a 'new normal' environment as it seeks to attract and welcome its long lost foreign tourists back to the country.
This includes the tortuous and extremely unpopular Certificate of Entry process operated by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Poll of readers shows strong interest in returning to Thailand and a minority who would do so under demanding emergency entry procedures
A Thai Examiner opinion poll conducted over the weekend with 580 respondents showed that 90% of our readers outside Thailand were planning a trip to the kingdom within the next 12 months but only 13.33% indicated that they would travel under the current Certificate of Entry regime which will remain in force under the government's emergency provisions to deal with COVID-19 as well as the state quarantine scheme.
There is good news and bad news here for the government in that interest in holidaying in Thailand remains high and while a huge majority will not visit under the current regime, 13.33% is a significant minority which could translate into more visitors if globals tourism resumes its momentum having been off by 88% in the first six months of the year according to travel industry sources and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Based on the numbers of regular tourists to Thailand from western countries in 2019 in the High Season, it may well be enough to see the kingdom achieve something like the revised Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)'s objectives by the year's end.
Fears for the pioneering Phuket Sandbox scheme as COVID-19 outbreak on the holiday island grows, Governor confirm a 'crisis situation' at the moment
However, there are growing fears about the pioneering Phuket Sandbox scheme with a rising COVID-19 outbreak on the holiday island linked to Phuket's fishing industry and its migrant labour workforce within factories servicing the sector.
On Wednesday, the island reported 258 new infections, another daily record prompting Governor Narong Woonsiew to admit that the current outbreak on the island was a 'crisis situation'.
'That the number of infections is more than 200 a day is a crisis situation,' he said on Wednesday. 'We need to manage the situation better in the province.'
Migrant workers connected with Phuket's fishing industry blamed for the growing virus spread
Meanwhile, Police Colonel Thanes Sukchai of the Immigration Bureau on Phuket has confirmed that foreign workers were the likely source of the latest outbreak with only 76 foreign tourists among over twenty thousand that have arrived through the slowing Phuket Sandbox scheme testing positive for COVID-19.
Local medical experts on the island are also calling for hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses to be administered as a third booster shot to residents of Phuket where 70% of the population was vaccinated before the foreign tourism initiative launched on July 1st.
This was predominantly with the Sinovac vaccine while the Delta variant of COVID-19 has increasingly been shown, in worldwide surveys and research, to be less contained by all brands of vaccines.
Industry chief looks ahead to 2022, sees foreign tourism recovery only from then, linked to vaccines
Overall, Mr Supant Mongkolsuthree of the Federation of Thai Industries has said that he sees the foreign tourism industry only recovering from the end of 2021 and said, this week, that this was still dependent on the government executing its vaccination programme properly before the end of the year.
On this basis, he thought that Thailand could see 6% growth in 2022 driven by a revival of the sector and exports.
The Bank of Thailand expert, Ms Chayawadee, on Tuesday, underlined the fact that the Thai economy has slowed from the end of June to the end of August by most economic measurements despite a rise in government spending of 18% in July.
Problems reported in August with the export sector, questions on consumer confidence recovery
The senior economic analyst noted that August had also seen contracted consumption and problems within the manufacturing and export sector.
She cited a shortage of semiconductors within the electronic industry as one example and also pointed to rising COVID-19 outbreaks in some of the kingdom's export markets which will hit demand.
Ms Chayawadee agreed that higher numbers of vaccinated people in the kingdom will assist but questioned how quickly the damaged economy and consumer confidence can be restored.
'Even if, during the middle of the month last August, the number of infected people in the country has begun to decline and the number of people vaccinated is higher. Also taking into account that the government has begun to relax the lock-down measures from September 1st. But overall, how will the economy adjust? Four to five issues still need to be monitored, namely, people's confidence when the measures are relaxed, how much will they actually spend? Government economic stimulus measures including both direct compensation and expenditure stimulus projects, for example, half of the people get money from the government and then use it to spend. Or will it be kept for future risks?'
Phuket Sandbox not quite the resounding success as expected
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said 26,400 foreigners have landed in Phuket since the sandbox scheme was launched on July 1, and only 0.3 per cent or 83 tested positive.
Phuket governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the sandbox scheme targeted 100,000 tourists in the third quarter but judging by the number of arrivals in July and August, the target may be impossible to achieve.
Phuket closed its borders to domestic travellers due to the explosion in Covid-19 cases across Thailand, while tourists from Europe and the US have kept the country off their travel itineraries because it is listed as a high-risk destination.
However, Yuthasak said the sandbox scheme was successful in boosting local confidence because very few foreigners had tested positive, and most were found at the airport.
Data shows that most tourists spent 11 to 12 days on average in Phuket before flying home. Over the past two months, 366,971 room nights were reserved in Phuket's 400 SHA-plus hotels.
Meanwhile, a total of 462,968 room nights have been reserved since the project was launched – 190,843 in July, 176,128 in August, and 95,997 in September. Another 24,947 nights have been reserved for the high season from October to February next year.
Yuthasak said TAT is focusing more on the high season and will discuss new schemes with Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn soon. The first 60 days of Phuket Sandbox saw 25,866 foreign arrivals, with nearly 7,000 from the US and UK. There were also many arrivals from Israel, Germany, France, the UAE and Switzerland, not to mention 3,335 local tourists.
The most popular destinations for tourists after they completed their first 14 days in Phuket were Bangkok, followed by Surat Thani, Chiang Mai, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Krabi.
Chon Buri reports 4 Covid deaths, 881 new infections
A boy reacts as a health worker takes a nasal swab for an antigen test in Pattaya, Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri, on Wednesday. The Pattaya City municipality and the private sector jointly conduct Covid-19 testing using antigen kits in communities. (Photo:Prpattayacity Facebook page)
Four Covid-19 deaths and 881 new infections were reported in Chon Buri on Thursday, with most new cases found in Si Racha district.
The number of patients discharged after treatment outnumbered the new cases, at 1,336.
The new infections brought the provincial total to 64,187. Of these, 48,695 have already recovered. A total of 15,098 patients were still in hospitals.
The four deaths brought the total to 394, the provincial public health office said in an update posted on its Facebook page on Thursday.
Of the new infections, 240 caught the disease from family members, 127 from colleagues, 24 from people close to them and one had been to a party.
Sixty cases were linked to six clusters –Thai President Foods Co in Si Racha district (19), The Indeed Condo Co's workers construction camp in Phan Thong district (13), Bridgestone Technic Fiber Co in Bang Lamung district (8), Autoliv (Thailand) Co in Phan Thong district, (7), Hansol Electronics Co in Ban Bung district (7), and a chicken farm in Nong Yai district (6).
Twenty-four patients had at-risk occupations. One was a medical worker and another case travelled from Nakhon Sawan province. Eighty-one cases were from workplaces in Rayong province.
Another 80 people came into contact with confirmed cases and were still under disease investigation. The remaining 42 cases were being investigated, the provincial public health office said.
Si Racha logged the highest number of new cases at 284, followed by Muang district (146), Bang Lamung district (122), Phan Thong (64), and Ban Bung (59). The remaining cases were in other areas with Bo Thong district reporting zero cases.
Chon Buri, one of 29 areas designated dark-red zones of maximum and strict Covid-19 control, now has 80 clusters — workplaces (61), construction workers' camps (10), markets (5) and communities (4), the provincial public health office said.
PHUKET: The latest Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) daily COVID situation report has marked 204 new local infections confirmed across the island yesterday (Sept 1) bringing the total number of people recognised as infected with COVID-19 in Phuket since Apr 3 to 4,435.
The PPHO report, marked as accurate as of 23:50pm last night but posted online at 1:55am today, also marked two new cases of Phuket Sandbox tourists being confirmed as infected.
The report also marked zero new deaths attributed to COVID-19 for yesterday, leaving the total number of deaths in Phuket attributed to COVID-19 since Apr 3 at 20.
The new local infections bring the total number of new local infections on the island in the past seven days to 1,467, as follows:
Aug 26 - 169 new cases
Aug 27 - 209 new cases
Aug 28 - 210 new cases
Aug 29 - 162 new cases
Aug 30 - 256 new cases
Aug 31 - 257 new cases
Sept 1 - 204 new cases
The current total of 4,535 people infected in Phuket since Apr 3 does not include 10 infected with COVID-19 in other provinces and 23 returning from other countries and testing positive.
The current Phuket tally also does not include 42 COVID patients brought back to Phuket under the "Bring Phuket people home" policy, or the 85 Phuket Sandbox arrivals who have tested positive for the virus after landing on the island since the Sandbox scheme began on July 1.
According to the PPHO COVID report for yesterday, 2,052 people were under medical care or supervision, an increase of 38 from the 2,014 reported the day before.
The report also marked 2,678 people in total being discharged from medical care for COVID infection since Apr 3 ‒ 126 more patients than the 2,552 reported yesterday.
The report recorded 29 new cases of people suspected of being infected with COVID-19 after testing positive by antigen test kits (ATKs).
Although reporting 29 new suspected cases, which have yet to be confirmed by RT-PCR tests, the total number of people reported as currently being held at 'COVID-19 Care Centers' across the island fell by 18, from 998 to 980.
The report did not confirm how many people who tested positive by ATKs were confirmed infected by RT-PCR tests or how many people had been released from ATK detention at 'COVID-19 Care Centers' and allowed to go home.
The PPHO daily COVID situation report also marked that Phuket currently has in total 2,118 beds available for COVID patients ‒ an increase of 405 on the 1,715 total number of hospital beds reported yesterday.
The total number of hospital beds occupied by COVID patients in Phuket now stands at 1,497, an increase of 160 on the 1,337 reported as occupied yesterday.
However, with the huge increase in the total number of hospital beds available for COVID patients, the percentage of hospital beds available now occupied has fallen from 79.27% reported yesterday to 70.68% reported today.
Further, the report today marks 621 hospital beds remain available for COVID patients, up from 303 reported yesterday (+318).
The report marked that of the COVID patients in care 34 were designated as 'Red patients' (zero change); 316 were designated 'Yellow' patients (zero change) and 397 were 'Green' patients (zero change).
At the time of this report being posted online no updated version of the map showing the location of new infections across the island had been posted. For the latest map showing the location of infections across the island, see the daily report posted yesterday.
Self-service is not allowed in a buffet restaurant and diners can stay just one hour, under Ministry of Public Health regulations for restaurants in dark red zones.
Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, chief of the Department of Health, said the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has loosened controls on restaurants by allowing dining-in based on Covid-19 free practices.
But for dark-red zones, Dr Suwannachai said, additional measures are needed to make sure all eateries follow the regulations. They also apply to beverage shops in department stores and community malls as well.
The regulations include social distancing, having alcohol gel at each table, no face-to-face sitting, ventilation, and cleaning common contact areas and restrooms every one or two hours. Self-service in restaurants is also not allowed.
"We'll limit the time to eat inside the restaurant to just one hour. This is because we want them to focus on eating, not talking. The less time spent there, the less chance of infection," Dr Suwannachai said.
"We will evaluate all measures before fully implementing anything, including the ATK test, and the need for full-dose vaccination for both customers and staff next month. Both parties must conduct the Covid self-evaluation through the Thai Save Thai application."
Certificates would be required to show full vaccination status. If not, customers or staff could show the result of an antigen test instead.
Phuket : A new strategy has been proposed to contain the new surge in coronavirus infections which is now at a "crisis level''.
Chalermpong Sukontapol, director of the Vachira Phuket Hospital, has proposed a "Quick Win strategy'' to deal with a spike in new daily cases caused by the fast-spreading Delta variant.
"The new cases are increasing in Phuket. Even though many residents have received two shots of the Sinovac vaccine, this is still not enough to prevent infections. There are still numerous green-coded patients with mild symptoms,'' he said.
"If they receive booster shots, this would help contain the Delta variant and the Phuket Sandbox scheme can go ahead,'' Dr Chalermpong said.
The "Quick Win'' strategy is aimed at curbing the number of patients with severe symptoms, boosting herd immunity, and easing the burdens of the public health system, he said.
Under the strategy, measures must be in place to stop people's movement and reduce unnecessary activities; and focus on testing the groups most vulnerable to infection -- senior citizens, people with chronic illnesses and pregnant women.
it must also isolate green-coded patients in home and community isolation, put yellow-coded patients with no severe symptoms in field hospitals, and treat red-coded patients with severe conditions in hospitals.
The strategy also calls for ramping up efforts to administer booster shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine by the end of this month, Dr Chalermpong said.
Phuket governor Narong Woonciew said on Wednesday the surge in new infections on the island is at a crisis level and needs attention.
"That the number of infections is more than 200 a day is a crisis situation. We need to manage the situation better,'' the governor said.
Mr Narong said the booster vaccine shots will be crucial to easing the situation and resuscitating local economy.
The island province on Wednesday reported 258 new cases, one of them a tourist under the sandbox programme.
It was the highest rate of daily infections in the last week.
Three of the last four days have seen the number rising above 200.
Provincial public health chief Kusak Kukiatkul that 85% of Phuket's local residents have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
Prayut walks back October reopening for the country
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha walked back the government's deadline to open the country by October during censure debates on Wednesday and said he would only do so if it was "possible."
Prayut said in June that he would reopen the country by October and that Thais must learn to live with Covid-19 or risk damaging the country's economy further.
Covid-19 numbers spiked after his June statement with daily infection rates rising above 20,000 cases per day before the government implemented mandatory lockdown measures.
After being grilled by the opposition during Wednesday's censure debate, Prayut seemed to back down from his June statement and said he was only committed to the October timeframe if it were "possible."
"I said that if it is possible to reopen the country in October we will reopen, if not then we open it sector by sector," the prime minister said. "Even if we are open, there will not be that many visitors because the pandemic is still there."
Prayut pointed to the success of the Phuket Sandbox model as a way to gradually reopen the country. During his speech to parliament, the one-time coup-leader said that he was in negotiations with many countries about tourism and travel exchanges.
Thailand saw nearly 40 million tourists visit the country in 2019 with tourists spending more than 1.93 trillion baht in the country.
That number has dried up to nearly negligible levels in 2021, with the country still mostly closed to international travellers due to the third wave of the pandemic.
