Chonburi announces 297 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 5 new deaths Wednesday, 27 October 2021, 10:32. Pattaya News

Chonburi announces 297 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 5 new deaths

Wednesday, 27 October 2021, 10:32

Highlights:

• 297 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Chonburi today

• 443 people recovered and were released from medical care

• 5 new deaths

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 245 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with 2 new deaths, October 27th.

This makes a total of 99,783 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 5,595 people still under medical care/supervision, and with a total of 706 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections in early April.

Additionally, 443 people were also released and recovered yesterday in Chonburi. 93,482 people in total have now been released from medical care and recovered in Chonburi since this current wave of Covid-19 began.

As for the five new deaths yesterday, four of them were elders with the average age of 77. They were close contacts from previous confirmed cases in families according to the Chonburi Department of Public Health. Most of them were elders and had chronic health problems. Three of them were not vaccinated.

The district-level new cases were as follows today:

Mueang Chonburi 88, Si Racha 86, Banglamung (Pattaya) 38, Panat Nikhom 10, Sattahip 21, Ban Bueang 9, Phan Thong 10, Ko Chan 4, Nong Yai 1, Koh Si Chang 1, soldiers in Sattahip 1, and 28 people transferred from other provinces for medical care

The details on the cases are as follows:

1. Work and stayed in Rayong transferred from other provinces for medical care, 21 cases
2. Cluster, work camp of DD Life company in Si Racha, 6 cases
3. Cluster, work camp of Rai Go Thong Construction and Service company in Si Racha, 6 cases
4. Cluster, work camp in Thung Sukkhala, Si Racha, 5 cases
5. Cluster, work camp of Melon and Lemon Construction company in Si Racha, 4 cases
6. Cluster, Sung Il company in Si Racha, 4 cases
7. Risky occupation, meeting a lot of people, 10 cases
8. 1 medical personal
9. Close contacts of confirmed patients in 103 families, in 45 workplaces, 14 from close friends and one joined parties
10. Close contact of a confirmed patient (under investigation), 20 cases
11. 57 cases in general are under investigation as to how they contracted Covid-19

Curfew

🔴 #COVID19 on Wednesday: ⬆️ 8,452 new cases ⬆️ 2,653 probable cases (ATK) ⬇️ 57 deaths. Richard Barrow









Bangkok Post highlights 27/10



BMA checks Suvarnabhumi’s readiness before reopening Officials from Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Monday visited Suvarnabhumi Airport to check its Covid-19 preventive measures before the province will reopen to vaccinated foreign visitors from November 1 onward. The Nation

BMA checks Suvarnabhumi's readiness before reopening

Officials from Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Monday visited Suvarnabhumi Airport to check its Covid-19 preventive measures before the province will reopen to vaccinated foreign visitors from November 1 onward.

Bangkok will join other 14 provinces in the pilot phase of reopening Thailand to foreign tourists. Under the plan, visitors travelling by air from countries have that a low level of Covid-19 infections will not have to quarantine, but they must prove they have received both jabs of an approved Covid-19 vaccine as well as produce a negative RT-PCR test result taken no more than 72 hours before flying.

BMA checks Suvarnabhumi's readiness before reopening

The group, led by deputy governor Pol Lt-General Sophon Phisutthiwong and representatives from Tourism Authority of Thailand, Tourist Police Bureau and related agencies, witnessed the demonstration of Thailand Pass QR Code checkpoints at Concourse C Building, before visited the areas where foreign passengers will meet with staff from alternative quarantine hotels to ensure the efficient and safe transportation of passengers at Gate 9 of the Passenger Terminal.

BMA checks Suvarnabhumi's readiness before reopening

BMA checks Suvarnabhumi's readiness before reopening

After inspecting several areas of Suvarnabhumi Airport, officials traveled to Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen's Park Hotel in Khlong Toei district to check the hotel's readiness in managing guest rooms, public areas, pools, spas and restaurants under Safety & Health Administration Plus (SHA+) standard. The SHA+ standard also requires employees of the business to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 at least 70 per cent of the entire staff.

BMA checks Suvarnabhumi's readiness before reopening

After the inspection, Sophon told the press that so far Bangkok has vaccinated over 74.9 per cent of its population at two doses, while the number of people who received the first jab has exceeded 100 per cent of the province's population in the census record.

🔴 #COVID19 on Tuesday: ⬇️ 7,706 new cases ⬆️ 66 deaths. Richard Barrow





Finnair är igång med långlinjetrafiken från Arlanda. flyg24nyheter.com

Finnair är igång med långlinjetrafiken från Arlanda

Simon Ericson26 oktober, 2021

Den 22 oktober lyfte Finnairs första långlinjeflygning från Stockholm Arlanda i bolagets satsning på Stockholm och under den gånga helgen fortsatte premiärerna för Finnair som just nu flyger tre långlinjer från Arlanda och fler är att vänta under hösten.

Den 22 oktober började Finnair att flyga direkt mellan Stockholm Arlanda och Bangkok vilket markerade starten för det finska flygbolagets långlinjetrafik från Sverige i en ny satsning som man gör. Under den gånga helgen har det sedan varit premiär för Finnairs flygningar till Phuket och Miami från Arlanda.

Medan två Airbus A350-900-flygplan nu kommer att flyga från Stockholm till Bangkok, Phuket och Miami två gånger i veckan vardera utökar Finnair sin närvaro på Arlanda när man i november även börjar att flyga till Los Angeles och i december börjar flyga till New York-JFK. Finnair kommer att flyga tre gånger i veckan till Los Angeles från den 2 november och till New York-JFK tre gånger i veckan från den 7 december. Runt jul kommer man sedan att utöka trafiken till fyra gånger i veckan på Stockholm-New York. 

Finnairs långlinjesatsning på Stockholm Arlanda ökar konkurrensen på långlinjetrafiken från Sverige och det finska flygbolaget konkurrerar med Thai Airways på linjerna till Bangkok och Phuket medan SAS också flyger till Miami och New York från Stockholm.

RICHARD BARROW - Many Thai embassies around the world have started to post information about the requirements needed for travel to #Thailand from 1st November. You are advised to contact them direct. This is from the consulate in Sydney: https://sydney.thaiembassy.org/en/content/requirements-required-documents-for-travellers-fro?page=5d847cc515e39c21b800621f&menu=5d847cc415e39c21b80061af







Bangkok Post highlights 26/10



Reopening of Thailand - Dispatch One - Richard Barrow





This is the first of a series of short dispatches about the reopening of Thailand to vaccinated tourists on 1st November. This week, I am preparing to leave Thailand for a short work trip and will then come back during the first week of reopening in early November. These dispatches will reflect on what I am learning during this process.

The Thailand Pass Lane at Suvarnabhumi Airport

Today, I was invited by Khun Thapanee Kiatphaibool, the deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand for domestic tourism, to observe the inspection of the operating procedures at Suvarnabhumi Airport and a hotel in Bangkok in advance of the reopening of the Kingdom for vaccinated tourists on 1st November 2021. The first thing I want to say, is that this is still not the opening of the flood gates. This is just signalling that Thailand is ready to reopen without quarantine. In many ways, we should label this as a soft reopening as not everything will be in place on day one. The first week will most definitely be a transition period where we go from one system to another.

Unless your journey or holiday is really necessary, I would strongly urge that you delay your trip until at least week two. This is mainly because the Thailand Pass system will only go online on 1st November. Up until that point, you still need to use the old cumbersome COE system. Which might not be ideal as it might not have all of the new rules in places such as the need to only book one night at a hotel. So, you would then need to book seven nights and then ask for a refund from your hotel.  Realistically, I don't think the first travellers will receive the Thailand Pass until around 7th or 8th November. This would then mean the first travellers wouldn't arrive with it until around 12th November. Which is a shame, as I was hoping to test this out next week and share with you, my findings. The Thailand Pass is apparently meant to simplify everything. From what I understand, you don't need to show any of your documents at the airport, such as vaccination certificate, health insurance, hotel bookings etc. Just the QR Code on the app. All of the processing would have been done in advance by the consular department at the Thai embassy where you applied. Once I get more information on this, I will let you know.

When people land at Suvarnabhumi Airport, they will come to this section where officials will check your documents. The COE lane will remain, as there are some groups of visitors that will still need it. Once the Thailand Pass is up and running, all you have to do here is show them your QR Code before moving onto Immigration. They say this will be much faster than what people are experiencing in the Phuket Sandbox at the moment. I guess lessons have been learned. Unfortunately, like I said already, for the first week or two, it will be slower as everyone must use the COE system.  Next you have to head to Immigration. Where again they say it will be a lot faster than Phuket. Then you go to baggage claim and through customs as normal. However, that is where it all changes from a normal arrival. This is where I need to remind people that this is NOT a full reopening of the country with no restrictions. There are still conditions which I will explain in a moment. One more difference between Suvarnabhumi airport and Phuket is that the RT-PCR testing is not done at the airport. This helps speeds things up and you will be out of the airport very quickly.

Several people have asked me if their girlfriend can meet them at arrivals and go with them to their SHA Plus hotel. No! This is what I mean by saying it is not a full reopening with no restrictions. When you come out into arrivals you are still a potential Covid patient. You cannot kiss and hug anyone. When you book your SHA+ hotel, you are also booking a compulsory transfer to the place of your RT-PCR testing. The driver will most likely be in full PPE suit and the interior of the car will be covered in plastic.  For bigger hotels, like the Marriott Marquis Queen's Park, which I inspected this afternoon, they will have their own on-site medical team to test you. The Marriott is teaming up with Samitivej Hospital to do this. For smaller hotels, you will first be taken to a swab center to do the test and then to your hotel. Which will obviously take longer depending on traffic. Once you have checked in at your hotel, you will be taken up to your room where you must stay until you get the results of the test.

Swimming Pool at the Marriott Marquis Queen's Park

Several people have asked me, what happens if you arrive early in the morning, do you still need to stay the night there. Yes, it is compulsory for vaccinated people from countries on the list to pre-book in advance one night at the hotel. Some people also asked what happens if it is a very late flight. The answer to that is not clear but it is possible you might have to book two nights in that case.  I cannot tell you how long the test results will take to come back. Obviously, hotels with partner hospitals will get the results much quicker. Also, some hotels might do your testing while you are checking in. Other hotels might set a certain time later in the day. So, one answer cannot fit all situations. Either way, once you get your negative test results, the group of people from the approved list of countries are then free to check-out in the morning and go anywhere they like in Thailand. The TAT is calling this "Test and Go". However, if your test results are positive, the only place you will be going is straight to hospital!

Group two are the people taking part in the Sandbox. These people are fully vaccinated, but they don't come from a country on the list. You must fly into one of the international airports on the listed 17 tourist provinces. For most people, that will probably mean Bangkok. These travellers must book a SHA+ hotel in advance for seven nights. The arrival procedure for Bangkok is the same as the first group of people. I'm also told, that both of these groups don't necessarily have to stay in Bangkok. They could, in theory, go straight to a SHA+ hotel in say Pattaya or Hua Hin. But they must have a hotel transfer booked in advance as part of the hotel package. My advice for the first group is to stay in Bangkok for the first night. Then go where you like. For the second group, there was one thing I didn't fully understand before which I have just learned. I thought that these people had the freedom of the 17 provinces and could switch to hotels in different provinces. I just learned today that you have to stay in the first province that you picked. So, if these people want to go to Pattaya, they should try and arrive in Thailand during the day and book a SHA+ hotel in Pattaya with a hotel transfer. So, basically, these Sandbox people are stuck in one province, much like in the Phuket Sandbox. But after seven days, and after the negative test results on the last day, you then get the freedom of all 77 provinces.

This was meant to be a short dispatch and so I will try and wrap this up now. I think what I learned today is that they are signalling that the country is opening up to vaccinated tourists who don't want to do quarantine. But don't rush to come. If you come during the high season in December and January, it will be a much smoother experience and everyone will know what to expect. In addition, by that time, there could be transit flights from Suvarnabhumi airport to places like Chiang Mai where you can then spend your first night. Something like that might be difficult during the first month while demand is still low. Just take a look at the transit flights to Samui. Bangkok Airways must be running at a loss with only half a dozen people on each flight. Or they are flying really valuable cargo in the hold. I have received literally hundreds and hundreds of questions today and I will do my best to get them answered in future dispatches. I was able to interview the deputy governor of TAT today which helped me a lot. But, like she said, not everything has been ironed out and resolved. There are so many different departments involved in the reopening of the country. It is not just the TAT alone. For example, the Consular Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are in charge of the Thailand Pass. I will need to ask them questions to learn more about that.

Vaccination report October 25th



Thailand has recorded its first case of the Delta Plus variant of COVID-19, but there is no cause for concern over its severity, drug or vaccine resistance as the disease being closely monitored, according to Dr. Chawetsan Namwat, director of the Division of Disease Control and Emergency Health Hazards at Disease Control Department (DCD), today (Monday). PBS World

First COVID Delta+ case found in Thailand, no cause of alarm – DCD

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Thailand has recorded its first case of the Delta Plus variant of COVID-19, but there is no cause for concern over its severity, drug or vaccine resistance as the disease being closely monitored, according to Dr. Chawetsan Namwat, director of the Division of Disease Control and Emergency Health Hazards at Disease Control Department (DCD), today (Monday).

He did not elaborate about the case, but said that the Department of Medical Science will hold a press conference on Tuesday to provide more details.

Dr. Chawetsan said that, over the past 28 days, Delta Plus cases in the United Kingdom have increased, accounting for 6% of all the infections involving other variants, mostly the Delta variant.

As far as Thailand is concerned, he said the World Health Organization has not upgraded the Delta Plus variant to a virus of concern, as he asked people in Thailand not to be overly concerned.

While new COVID-19 infections in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces are declining, in line with the nationwide trend, Dr. Chawetsan said infections in southern provinces are still rising, now accounting for 23% of all new infections nationwide.

Citing an analytical study of infections since April 1^st this year , he noted that funerals have been a major cause of infections, as people tend to socialise, eat and drink together, sharing the same glasses, not wearing face masks or wearing them improperly, gambling or staying overnight with the funeral hosts.

He also disclosed that several clusters of infections have been detected in flooded areas, especially among children and family members who play together.

On vaccinations, he said that, from February 28^th to October 24^th, 70,505,802 doses of vaccines have been administered in Thailand. 39,999,692 people have already received their first vaccine shot and 28,372,531 have received two. 2,133,579 have received third shots.

76.2% of the Thai population have been vaccinated, with 100% in Bangkok, 82.7% in Phuket, 72.4% in Samut Prakan and over 50% in the rest of the country having been inoculated.

👎👎👎👎👎 DET MÅSTE FINNAS BÄTTRE SAKER ATT LÄGGA PENGAR PÅ I DESSA COVID19 TIDER TYCKER JAG IAF. - Thai cabinet to consider 100 million baht for New Year appearances of Lisa, Andrea Bocelli Read more >>> https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-cabinet-to-consider-100-million-baht-for-new-year-appearances-of-lisa-andrea-bocelli/



COVID Full list of provincial totals here... https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/monday-covid-update-8675-new-cases-provincial-totals. The Thaiger



Finnair brings Swedish tourist to Phuket. Tourists arriving in Phuket on a direct flight from Stockholm were given a warm welcome on landing at Phuket International Airport today (Oct 25). Phuket News

Finnair brings Swedish tourist to Phuket

PHUKET: Tourists arriving in Phuket on a direct flight from Stockholm were given a warm welcome on landing at Phuket International Airport today (Oct 25).

On hand to lead the welcoming committee was Phuket Vice Governor Piyapong Choowong. Joining him were Monchai Tanode, General Manager of Phuket Airport; Thitiporn Maneenet, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Director for Europe, Africa and the Middle East; and Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, Director of the TAT Phuket Office.

Passengers boarded the Finnair flight, AY153 on the ARN - HKT route, at Arlanda Airport in Stockholm, and touched down in Phuket at 9:12am, reported the Airports of Thailand (AoT) Phuket office.

In total 135 foreign tourists were brought to Phuket under the Phuket Sandbox scheme, and were cleared through Gate 11, 

The flight today marked the resumption of the Stockholm ‒ Phuket service after a hiatus of nearly two years, noted Vice Governor Piyapong.

"This is another important step in opening the tourism market to Phuket, aAfter moving forward with the pilot project to open the area to receive foreign tourists as the first area [in the country] under the Phuket Sandbox project since July," V/Gov Piyapong said.

"The project has been very successful in ensuring that it meets the standards set by the public health sector, along with the economic recovery of Phuket. It has built confidence as the first step of opening the country and as a model to open other pilot areas," he added

"Tourists are welcome and glad to visit Phuket and Thailand again after not leaving their home countries for two years. As for the welcoming group, it was a joy to see the bright smiles of the visitors," he said.

The return of the Finnair direct flights to Phuket follows  Nitinai Sirisatthakarn, President of Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AoT), reporting that many airlines are many airlines returning "slots" ‒ bookings required to use airport facilities, including takeoffs and landings ‒ for the winter flight schedule, 

"This reflects that the airline business is still highly uncertain," he said, reported Thai PBS.

Mr Nitinai said the government's ban on domestic flights from the end of July through September had resulted in Thailand's aviation industry's lowest performance on record.

During the period, the six airports operated by AoT averaged about 40-50 travellers per day. Flights resuming this month had seen passenger traffic at the six AoT-operated airports increase to an average of 30,000 passengers per day, he said.

Foreign airlines had returned about 70-80% of the flight slots available at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, he said.

At Don Mueang International Airport alone, overseas airlines had canceled 100% of all flight slots, while domestic airlines canceled 33%, he said.

Mr Nitinai added that the return of winter flight slots, from Oct 31, 2021 - March 26, 2022, reflected that airlines still view the situation as "highly uncertain" during these five months.

Pinyot Pibulsongkram, Commercial Director Thai Vietjet Airlines, said that although the aviation situation had improved, the overall picture is still considered that the airline industry is still in crisis, the report added.

For fiscal year 2021, the industry is expected to record a loss of more than B10 billion, recovering only slightly after losing B11bn in the first nine months of the year, Mr Pinyot said.

"The industry probably will not recover much [this year]. In fiscal year 2023, the aviation industry will still be in a state of repair," he added.

Foreigners eager to visit to Thailand, but few have actually booked flights: Poll - Following the news that Thailand plans to reopen its tourism industry, at least in part, from November 1, many foreigners are eager to visit the country, but those who have actually booked flights remain in the minority. According to a straw poll carried out by ASEAN NOW, 31 percent of respondents said they planned to visit Thailand this year, while 30 percent said they planned to visit between January and March 2022. ASEAN NOW

File photo

 

Following the news that Thailand plans to reopen its tourism industry, at least in part, from November 1, many foreigners are eager to visit the country, but those who have actually booked flights remain in the minority.

 

According to a straw poll carried out by ASEAN NOW, 31 percent of respondents said they planned to visit Thailand this year, while 30 percent said they planned to visit between January and March 2022.

 

However, when asked if they had actually booked a flight to Thailand, 81 percent of respondents said they had not yet bought a flight to Thailand.

 

The lack of people seemingly willing to take the step of actually buying an airline ticket to return to Thailand is perhaps an indication of the confusion regarding Thailand's reopening plan. 

 

A particular area of confusion surrounds the online 'Thailand Pass' system, which the government has announced will replace the certificates of entry (COE) for visitors to Thailand from November 1.

 

Thai and foreign travellers will need to submit proof of vaccination and other documents on the Thailand Pass system before travelling to Thailand.  

 

However, while the government has said that Thailand Pass will be more efficient and will help to facilitate ease of travel for visitors, the system is yet to be launched. 

 

Elsewhere in the poll, there was perhaps little surprise to discover that Bangkok and Pattaya were the two most popular destinations among respondents.

 

Interestingly, most of the respondents said that a ban on the sale of alcohol in bars and restaurants would not put them off visiting Thailand. 

 

However, opinion was fairly mixed, with 47 percent of respondents voting no, while 35 percent said that an alcohol ban in Thailand was reason enough to opt for another destination. 18 percent of respondents were undecided on the issue.

 

When asked how long they intended to stay for, most respondents (52%) said they planned to stay for more than one month. This perhaps indicates that most people looking to return to Thailand at present are expats or those with some other connection to Thailand, be it property ownership, marriage etc.

 

 

 

People living in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces are advised to prepare for PM2.5 dust pollution, coinciding with the arrival of high atmospheric pressure from the end of October until February. PBS World

PM2.5 dust forecast for Bangkok and vicinity from late October through February

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People living in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces are advised to prepare for PM2.5 dust pollution, coinciding with the arrival of high atmospheric pressure from the end of October until February.

Director-General of Pollution Control Department Atthaphol Charoenchansa said today (Monday) that, during the four-month period, PM2.5 dust will accumulate overnight due to stale air and the lack of circulation.

According to the Meteorological Department, a weak to moderate cold front from China is expected to cover Thailand's northern and north-eastern regions until December.

The cold front will gain strength periodically in January and February, when the atmospheric high pressure will weaken.

Atthaphol said that, during the period when the cold front is weakening, especially in January and February, there is a high possibility that the quantity of dust in the atmosphere will exceed safety levels.

He assured the public, however, that the Pollution Control Department has rolled out measures to cope with the problem, which have been approved by a subcommittee tasked with tackling air pollution.

Since emissions from vehicles, particularly those using diesel, account for over half of the air pollutants, the Pollution Control Department has cooperated with the automobile industry to conduct checks on and maintenance of vehicles, which are over seven years old, at discount prices.

Atthaphol said that this preventive maintenance alone will help reduce emissions by an average of 25%.

Another measure is to seek cooperation from two diesel producers by producing low sulphur content diesel, to be available at Bangchak petrol stations in Bangkok from December to February.

Atthaphol explained that the Euro 5-grade diesel, which has sulphur content of less than 10ppm, can reduce the amount of PM2.5 dust produced by vehicle emissions by about 24%, compared to the Euro 4-grade which contains about 50ppm of sulphur.

He assured the public that the low sulphur content diesel will not damage vehicle engines. 

Thailand is all set to welcome fully vaccinated foreign visitors, including returning Thais and foreign residents, from the approved countries to enter the Kingdom by air with no quarantine requirements from 1 November, 2021. PRD / TAT



Minister of Education Trinuch Thienthong said schools across the country will resume classes for the new academic term from November, with some 30,000 schools now well prepared for reopening. The minister said not all schools will get to reopen their campus on 1 November, as factors such as COVID-19 cases have to be taken into consideration while focusing on allowing those in areas with fewer infections and higher vaccination coverage. Pattaya Mail / NNT

Thailand confirms reopening of schools on November 1

October 25, 2021

The Ministry of Education has asked schools to evaluate the risk factors in their areas and determine whether they are ready for reopening while data will be submitted to the CCSA next week to establish an official reopening guideline.

Minister of Education Trinuch Thienthong said schools across the country will resume classes for the new academic term from November, with some 30,000 schools now well prepared for reopening.

The minister said not all schools will get to reopen their campus on 1 November, as factors such as COVID-19 cases have to be taken into consideration while focusing on allowing those in areas with fewer infections and higher vaccination coverage.



The Ministry of Education has asked schools to evaluate the risk factors in their areas and determine whether they are ready for reopening. Data will be submitted to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration next week to establish an official reopening guideline.

For schools in the southern region, the minister said provincial public health offices will be making the assessments, with online classes being a viable option for infectious areas.

She said unvaccinated students will be allowed to go to school after the reopening, as stringent health and safety measures will be put in place. (NNT)