Travelling to Thailand? Here are the latest vaccine guidelines. Here’s a list of approved Covid-19 vaccines in Thailand… | Thaiger

Travelling to Thailand? Here are the latest vaccine guidelines.

By 

Thaiger

Wednesday, July 6, 2022 07:29

So you're vaccinated. But are you? Or perhaps you're unvaccinated or under-vaccinated. What does all this mean for you if you're travelling to Thailand? The following info was updated by the Thai Government and published on June 28, 2022.

Here's a list of approved Covid-19 vaccines in Thailand…

1. CoronaVac (Sinovac) – 2 doses needed / 2nd dose after 2-4 weeks

2. AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria, Covishield) – 2 doses needed /2nd dose after 4-12 weeks;

3. Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, Tozinameran (INN)) – 2 doses needed / 2nd dose after 3 week;

4. Jansen (Johnson & Johnson) 1 dose needed;

5. Moderna (Spikevax) – 2 doses needed / 2nd dose after 4 weeks);

6. COVILO (Sinopharm, Hayat-Vax) – 2 doses needed / 2nd dose after 3-4weeks);

7. Sputnik V – 2 doses needed / 2nd dose after 3 weeks);

8. Covaxin – 2 doses needed / 2nd dose after 4 weeks;

9. Novavax (Nuvaxovid) / Covovax – 2 doses needed / 2nd dose after 3 weeks);

10. Medigen – 2 doses needed / 2nd dose after 4 weeks;

11. TURKOVAC/ERUCOV-VAC – 2 doses needed / 2nd dose after 4 weeks:

12. Sputnik Light – 1 dose needed;

13. CansinoBio (Ad5-nCov / Convidecia) – 1 dose needed.

How to be considered as fully vaccinated in Thailand…

• Get second dose of a 2-dose vaccine no less than 14 days before the travel date to Thailand

• Get a single-dose vaccine no less than 14 days before the travel date to Thailand

• In case of mix-and-match vaccines, get second dose of a different vaccine within the recommended interval of the first vaccine no less than 14 days before travel date to Thailand

Guidelines to be considered as fully vaccinated when having been infected with Covid-19…

• Have received a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine at any time after the recovery. It is required to submit proof or medical record of Covid-19 recovery alongside the single-dose vaccination certificate.

• Fully vaccinated before contracting Covid-19

• Recovered from Covid-19 within 3 months before travelling to Thailand. It is required to present a valid medical certificate certifying the full recovery (within 3 months but no less than 14 days before travelling) or that you are asymptomatic in case the Covid-19 RT-PCR – or professional ATK – test shows a positive result.

SOURCE: Public Relations Department of the Royal Thai Government (updated on June 28, 2022)



COVID-19 infections in Thailand expected to peak again in September | Thai PBS World

COVID-19 infections in Thailand expected to peak again in September

views  670

Daily COVID-19 infections are expected to peak at about 4,000 cases in September and outdoor mask wearing is still necessary, though voluntary, while the COVID-19 Alert Level will remain at 2, according to senior officials of the Ministry of Public Health.

Chief of the Disease Control Department's Epidemiology Division Chakkarat Pittayawonganon said today (Tuesday) that data on infections from the 22nd to 26th weeks of this year clearly show a rising trend, especially in Bangkok and touristic provinces, despite fewer infections being reported by the government this week.

He said that the infection curve will climb steeply, to its peak of about 4,000 cases a day in September, from about 2,000 cases this week, if the relaxation of COVID-19 measures since June remains unchanged, including voluntary mask wearing.

Dr. Chakkarat said that the wearing of a face mask outdoors is still necessary, albeit no longer mandatory, and most people in Bangkok appear to be still wearing them.

He insisted that severe COVID-19 case hospital bed occupancy is, currently, 10.9%, but he warned that, if the rate increases to 50%, all state hospitals would have to adjust their bed management to cope.

An urgent directive has recently been issued by Public Health Permanent Secretary Kiattibhoom Vongrachit to all state hospitals, instructing them to prepare spare beds, equipment, medication and manpower to cope with a potential new wave of COVID-19 infections.

General hospital bed occupancy in Bangkok is 35.6%, 28.2% in Samut Prakan, 28.4% in Phuket, 27.6% in Nonthaburi and 21.6% in Pathum Thani province.

Dr. Kiattibhoom, however, said that Thailand is now approaching a post-pandemic period, which means that people in the country will have to live with COVID-19 and infections will occur, although the severity of the effects of the disease may reduce.

He said that the surge in infections is not unexpected, but it will not be a new pandemic, as he offered an assurance that the Public Health Ministry has made preparations for adequate medical personnel, medication and hospital beds to be available to cope with the new situation.

He said that the increasing daily infections do not justify a raising of the Alert Level, claiming that the situation is under control and that the "Universal Prevention" and "Universal Vaccination" measures are still in place.

"Universal Prevention" includes social distancing, regular hand washing and face mask wearing. He suggested that people wear a mask in public and, especially, in crowded areas where air circulation is poor. This is particularly important for elderly people and those suffering from underlying diseases.

"Universal Vaccination", he said, means that people receive their booster shots to help reduce the risk of becoming severely sick and hospitalisation.

Another leading Thai doctor has added his voice to calls to reinstate mask mandates and even bring back some restrictions. He also supports full Covid data once again being released, such as counting all asymptomatic or mild cases as a case with the regular daily counts.- The Pattaya News

Thai government should reveal all Covid-19 daily infections and data, consider bringing back mask mandate and some restrictions, leading Thai doctor says

Nop MeechukhunTuesday, 5 July 2022, 20:45

Bangkok –

Dr. Nithipat Jearakul, chief of Siriraj Hospital's Department of Respiratory Disease and Tuberculosis, urged the Thai government to reveal the accurate number of Covid-19 infections, including no-to-mild symptoms groups, to the public.

The Associate Professor stated online on Monday, July 1st, that the Covid-19 situation in Thailand is tensing up again as it was estimated that the actual number of cases last week was around 50,000 people a day, different from the numbers we saw in the daily reports of a few thousand at most.

The number of critically ill patients is also rising from 600 and now staying at a rate of 700, Nithipat said.

His statement says: "The number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients is increasing, causing a number of medical front liners to come back to work and work twice as hard to reduce the number of patients waiting to be admitted to hospitals."

"It's time for the government to tell the truth and warn its people to be prepared, not just carelessly end the mask mandate and allow more risky social activities," Nithipat added.

Nithipat also supports the return of the mask mandate and some Covid19-related restrictions.

The Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration or CCSA is set to discuss the Covid19 situation on Friday, July 8th, and proposals such as reinstating the mask mandate as suggested by many prominent Thai doctors.

COIVD-19 - We understand you don’t want to read this. Thai health authorities recommending the re-instatement of mask wearing | Thaiger

Thai health authorities recommending the re-instatement of mask wearing

By 

Pete

Tuesday, July 5, 2022 18:17

The highly contagious BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants are currently causing problems in Thailand, just like they other countries – more hospitalisations but no trend of a higher number of deaths. The downward trend, since April 1, has plateaued over the past month and started creeping up again.

With statistics from many countries suggesting that BA.4 and BA.5 are "highly transmissible", Thai medical authorities are recommending the government increase the current control and prevention measures.

Australia is now heading for its third Omicron wave in the coming weeks, as the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants become the dominant Covid strains. Similar new waves are hitting Germany, France, Italy, Brazil and Taiwan. BA.4 and BA.5 are more infectious than previous Covid variants and sub-variants, and are showing signs of evading immunity from vaccines and previous infections.

It was only the last week in June that the royal gazette posted updated changes from the CCSA which allowed the wearing of face masks to be voluntary in open spaces. Now, according to the head of the Faculty of Medicine at the Siriraj Hospital, to further mitigate the spread of the new sub-variants, the Thai government is recommended "to reinstate Covid-19 measures, including the requirement for everywhere to wear face masks. A recommendation will be made to the CCSA at this week's meeting.

"The government should reintroduce stringent control measures, including wearing masks indoors. This is urgent, and we should not wait until there are not enough hospital beds. BA.4 and BA.5 may not be as not as severe as the Delta variant but they are more infectious, and if the number of cases continues to increase, they may mutate further."

People with Covid-19 are currently quarantined for a week, followed by 3 days of self-monitoring their health. However, the Public Health Ministry will suggest to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration that the quarantine period be cut to five days, instead of the current seven days.

Also, people will have to keep a close eye on their health for another five days rather than three.

The next CCSA meeting is scheduled for this Friday.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post | Bangkok Post

Ministry issues 8 urgent orders to hospitals as new Covid wave rises The Public Health Ministry has issued an eight-point order to hospitals and instructed them to prepare for a new wave of Covid-19. The preparation order was issued after a rise in the infection rate driven by cases of the new Omicron BA.4 and 5 subvariants. The Nation

In a Facebook post on Monday, the Rural Doctor Society (RDS) published an urgent letter from ministry permanent secretary Kiattiphum Wongrajit ordering public health chiefs nationwide to prepare for a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases.

The ministry letter contained the following eight orders to hospitals:

1. Notify medical staff of the situation so they can prepare services and protect themselves accordingly.
2. Ensure sufficient supplies of medicines and protective equipment.
3. Prepare beds for severely ill Covid patients.
4. Ensure referral system is operating efficiently.
5. Speed up booster jab programme for medical staff and citizens.
6. Publicise advice on how to prevent the disease from spreading.
7. Cooperate with related local agencies on control and prevention measures.
8. Gather and analyse Covid data as it emerges.

The preparation order was issued after the rate of Covid-19 infections began rising in the past week. Analysis of samples by the Department of Medical Sciences between June 25 and July 1 showed that Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 accounted for over 50 per cent of new cases. However, Kiattiphum ruled out the possibility of another major outbreak given the high level of vaccination in Thailand.

The Bureau of Epidemiology predicts the new wave of cases will peak in September at 4,000 per day.

On Tuesday, Thailand recorded 1,917 Covid-19 cases and 18 deaths.



Handlar INTE om Thailand men JAG anser det vara av ALLMÄNT intresse: "SAS flyver lige mod en konkurs" I løbet af et par uger kan SAS have mistet halvdelen af kassebeholdningen på otte milliarder svenske kroner, og en retslig proces for rekapitalisering vil kunne rykke nærmere,” vurderer aktieanalysechef Jacob Pedersen. - CHECK-IN.dk

"SAS flyver lige mod en konkurs"

I løbet af et par uger kan SAS have mistet halvdelen af kassebeholdningen på otte milliarder svenske kroner, og en retslig proces for rekapitalisering vil kunne rykke nærmere," vurderer aktieanalysechef Jacob Pedersen.

Pilotstrejken i SAS, der trådte i kraft mandag kl. 12.00, kan risikere at blive en bekostelig affære for SAS.

Selvom SAS ved udgangen af april havde en kassebeholdning på mere ned otte milliarder svenske kroner, kan de første fire til fem uger efter strejkevarslet den 9. juni risikere at gøre et indhug på halvdelen af kassebeholdningen. Det vurderer aktieanalysechef Jacob Pedersen fra Sydbank.

Aktieanalysechefen estimerer, at strejken kommer til at koste SAS i omegnen af 100 millioner kroner om dagen, hvilket svarer til omkring 70 millioner danske kroner.

"Det dræner SAS' pengekasse hurtigere, end der ellers var lagt op til, og refusioner af allerede købte billetter hjælper ikke," skriver Jacob Pedersen i en aktiekommentar efter strejkeudbruddet.

FORWARD-plan stødt på grund
Jacob Pedersen hæfter sig ved, at piloternes og SAS-ledelsens beregninger af effekten af de forskellige indrømmelser har været vidt forskellige, og at SAS ikke har haft mange manøvremuligheder, da hovedsigtet er at kunne gennemføre SAS FORWARD, hvorfor der ikke var meget at give af.

"SAS har for høj gæld og for høje omkostninger – og er således ikke konkurrencedygtig. SAS er med andre ord et selskab, der flyver lige mod en konkurs, og hvor ledelsen har brug for indrømmelser fra medarbejdere, leverandører og kreditorer for at gennemføre SAS FORWARD og
undgå en juridisk proces i arbejdet med at redde SAS."

Pilot forhandlingerne er blot en af mange brikker i forhold til at nå til enighed med medarbejdergrupperne, men der udestår også et succesfuldt resultat af forhandlingerne med kreditorer og leasingselskaber, ligesom der skal hentes mindst 9,6 milliarder svenske kroner i ny kapital, når de andre forudsætninger er opfyldt. Derfor kan SAS FORWARD-planen allerede være stødt på grund.

Konkursbeskyttelse lurer i horisonten
Hvis parterne ikke finder hinanden inden længe, så kan de økonomiske tab skubbe SAS længere ud mod den økonomiske afgrund og fremrykke en proces, der involverer betalingsstandsning eller konkursbeskyttelse, vurderer aktieanalysechefen.

"Alternativet er en retslig proces for rekapitaliseringen, hvis SAS skal fortsætte med at eksistere. Den er rykket markant tættere på med strejken."

SAS-aktien var midt på eftermiddagen faldet med lidt mere end seks procent på Københavns Fondsbørs til en kurs på omkring 0,42 kroner.

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"Thailand should be a luxury and premier holiday destination”. But rather than offering significant discounts to attract world travellers, hotels, businesses and private hospitals should aim to boost the kingdom as a luxury and premier holiday destination, comparing how the luxury brands do business, according to Deputy Thai PM and public health minister, Anutin Charnvirakul.- Deputy PM | Thaiger

"Thailand should be a luxury and premier holiday destination" – Deputy PM

By 

Pete

Tuesday, July 5, 2022 10:54

In the first half of 2022, Thailand welcomed around 2 million international travellers, marking a promising recovery after the Land of Smile's tourism sector suffered from the outbreak and the restrictions imposed on entry requirements, such as the Thailand Pass. Thailand holiday Thailand holiday

But rather than offering significant discounts to attract world travellers, hotels, businesses and private hospitals should aim to boost the kingdom as a luxury and premier holiday destination, comparing how the luxury brands do business, according to Deputy Thai PM and public health minister, Anutin Charnvirakul.

"We cannot let people come to Thailand and stay because it's cheap. Hold your ground. Sell premium. The more expensive, the more customers. Otherwise, Louis Vuitton wouldn't have any sales."

The government has introduced a series of long-term visa programs for "rich" foreigners and skilled professionals as part of its strategy to attract high-spending guests.

Before the outbreak of Covid 19, Thailand was one of Asia's most popular destinations, welcoming a record-breaking nearly 40 million tourists in 2019. They spent 1.91 trillion baht, or 11% of the country's GDP in that year.

Once the pandemic began, numbers dropped to 6.7 international travellers in 2020 (almost all arriving in the first 3 months of the year, before slumping to 428,000 arrivals in 2021.

Thailand tourism, in the past, has been predicated on attracting a broad cross-section of tourists, from the back packers to the high end spenders, with the country cementing itself on the budget traveller map. Thailand's most popular tourist locations have always been aimed at, and catered for, the mass tourism market.

By the end of 2022, the Thailand Tourism Authority and the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, predict that some 10 million international arrivals could enter the country. Their estimates are predicated on previous arrival habits. At this time, both Chinese and Russian travellers won't be returning to Thailand in large numbers.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

🔴 #COVID19 update on Tuesday ⬇️ 1,917 new cases ⏺ 18 deaths ⬇️ 24,435 active cases ⬆️ 705 serious cases. TNR / Richard Barrow



COVID-19 Cases Will Be Rising over Next 10 Weeks. The director also said that the occupancy of hospital beds for COVID-19 cases increased in major provinces including Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chon Buri but the health system was still able to cope. 4 July 2022 18:22. TNA

BANGKOK, July 4 (TNA) – The local COVID-19 situation raises concerns as health authorities expect new cases will be rising in the next 10 weeks.

Dr Chakkarat Pittayawonganon, director of the epidemiology division at the Department of Disease Control, said COVID-19 patients with lung inflammation rose in number in the past week while the number of patients admitted to hospital was stable.

New fatalities resulting from COVID-19 were mostly senior citizens and people with chronic illnesses and they were unvaccinated, he said.

The director also said that the occupancy of hospital beds for COVID-19 cases increased in major provinces including Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chon Buri but the health system was still able to cope.

He warned that statistics showed that new COVID-19 cases would be increasing in 10 weeks from now especially in Bangkok, major provinces and three southern border provinces. But the situation would not be as severe as what happened during the start of Omicron outbreaks. He urged people to seriously protect themselves from infection and obtain vaccine booster shots.

Meanwhile, Dr Supakit Sirilak, director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences, said that of 948 sampled COVID-19 cases, 489 or 50% had either BA.4 or BA.5 subvariant, compared with only 6% found two weeks ago.

The infections of both subvariants increased obviously and in the near future they would become dominant subvariants. Most infections were in Bangkok, he said.

Doctors have not concluded that BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants cause severer illnesses than previously discovered subvariants. Officials concerned needed information from more COVID-19 cases before drawing a conclusion, Dr Supakit said. (TNA)

Unvaccinated tourist turned away at check-in desk en route to Thailand . An unvaccinated tourist en route to Thailand was turned away at the check-in desk at Manchester Airport in England on Saturday after an airline didn’t get the memo about Thailand’s updated entry restrictions. If you are unvaccinated and plan to travel to Thailand, The Thaiger has advice about how to avoid this happening to you. | Thaiger

Unvaccinated tourist turned away at check-in desk en route to Thailand

By 

leah

Monday, July 4, 2022 11:25

An unvaccinated tourist en route to Thailand was turned away at the check-in desk at Manchester Airport in England on Saturday after an airline didn't get the memo about Thailand's updated entry restrictions. If you are unvaccinated and plan to travel to Thailand, The Thaiger has advice about how to avoid this happening to you.

Thailand Pass was scrapped on July 1, supposedly making post-pandemic travel to Thailand "easier than ever." Well…

Thailand's Centre for Covid-19 Administration – the CCSA – and the Tourism Authority of Thailand – the TAT – reports that unvaccinated tourists can either show proof of a negative pro-ATK or RT-PCR test gained within 72 hours prior to arrival OR simply take an ATK test upon arrival.

The CCSA said that randomised checks will be undertaken at Thailand's airports to check whether travellers have either proof of vaccination or proof of a negative pre-arrival Covid-19 test. Anyone without the documents may still gain entry into Thailand, but will be subject to an on-arrival ATK test, according to the CCSA.

One unvaccinated tourist arrived at Manchester Airport on Saturday, July 2, expecting to fly to Thailand via Dubai and test upon arrival at Bangkok's Survarnabhumi Airport. However, at the check-in desk, Emirates staff asked for either proof of vaccination or proof of a negative Covid-19 test. The tourist told the Thaiger…

"I read on the news that unvaccinated tourists were no longer required to take a pre-arrival test. I thought I could fly to Thailand and take an ATK test upon arrival. But after queuing for 2 hours at Manchester Airport, the Emirates check-in staff told me "there is no way you're getting on this flight." They turned me away. They told me to rebook my flight, stay in a hotel, and take a test the next day if I wanted to travel to Thailand."

The problem is, despite Thailand's CCSA and TAT confirming the scrapping of pre-arrival testing regardless of vaccination status, the UK government's travel advice on Thailand's entry restrictions says differently…

"From 1 July, you are no longer required to apply for permission to enter Thailand.

You still need to show proof of either a vaccine certificate or negative COVID-19 test results.

Vaccine certificate or pro-ATK/RT-PCR results (within 72 hours) will be checked by airline staff at check-in and once again when you arrive in Thailand.

USD 10,000 insurance requirements for COVID-19 treatment will no longer be mandatory, but is highly recommended."

Since the scrapping of Thailand Pass, several travellers have told the Thaigerthat they have sailed through Suvarnabhumi Airport without being asked to show vaccination history, proof of a negative test, or without being asked to take an ATK.

However, until the UK government updates their travel advice to Thailand, unvaccinated tourists from the UK will likely be asked for proof of a negative test from their airline.

For now, the Thaiger's advice for unvaccinated tourists is to gain a negative Pro-ATK or RT-PCR test result 72 hours prior to travelling, just in case.

The tourist said that not only did the Emirates staff cite the UK government's travel advice, but also said it was a requirement of Dubai Airport for transiting passengers to have proof of a negative test. However, the Emirates website's section entitled "Transiting in Dubai" states…

"Transiting passengers are not required to present a COVID 19‑PCR test certificate unless it is mandated by their final destination." 

Just in case whichever airline you are flying with hasn't caught wind of Thailand's updated entry restrictions yet, the safest thing to do is to gain a negative Pro-ATK or RT-PCR test result within 72 hours of arrival in Thailand, even though Thailand doesn't require it anymore.

Inflation causing a problem for airlines coming to Thailand | Thaiger / Bangkok Post

Inflation causing a problem for airlines coming to Thailand

By 

Pete

Monday, July 4, 2022 10:22

The Thai tourism industry is trying to recover as fewer international flights are now arriving due to inflation as prices of fuel are rising. There are also problems in both Europe and the US with flights being cancelled or with long delays, causing additional travel chaos as the world's travel and aviation tries to recover. World inflation is also hitting the discretionary spending habits of potential travellers to Thailand at this time.

Thailand is counting on the approaching high season to bring in 8-10 million tourists by the end of 2022.

Numerous airline companies say they are are hesitant to add more routes or increase the number of flights as there are many global challenges affecting their revenue and ability to increase frequency of flights.

They cite higher operating costs caused by rising oil prices and longer flights due to the detours to avoid the war between Russia and Ukraine.

SCREENCAPTURE: Flightradar24

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Yuthasak Supasorn, there are only 30% of international flights flying into The Land of Smiles compared to life before the pandemic. The TAT and Tourism and Sports Ministry have been touting a swift recovery of Thai tourism but are now admitting the challenges to international arrivals which are out of the control of Thai authorities.

"Tourists face higher travel costs, particularly from inflation and airfares, which have increased by 20-40%. The TAT is working with airlines, both scheduled and chartered services, to roll out joint promotions to help offset those costs. However, for Europe's summer season in August, it might be too late to prepare any stimulus packages."

The goal should be at least 55% of international flights, and this could be possible once Air Canada and Korean Air have confirmed their plans non stop flights.

From December until April 2023, Air Canada plans to fly its first direct flight between Vancouver and Bangkok with four flights per week using Boeing 787 planes. During its recent trip to Seoul, Korean Air promised the TAT that it will start flying to Thailand again in the fourth quarter.

Both Chinese and Russian travellers will be thin on the ground for at least the rest of 2022.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

King tide in Phuket yesterday spurred online fears of a tsunami - it wasn't. The posts were correlating a king tide (unusually high tide) in Phuket, that was at its highest at 1.27pm (Sunday afternoon), some rough seas and a strong south-westerly swell in the Andaman Sea and Phang Nga Bay, and a small earthquake in northern Sumatra earlier on Sunday morning. | Thaiger

King tide in Phuket yesterday spurred online fears of a tsunami – it wasn't

By 

Tim Newton

Monday, July 4, 2022 07:56

There was a lot of online chatter yesterday which was claiming there had been a small tsunami along the western shores of Phuket.

The posts were correlating a king tide (unusually high tide) in Phuket, that was at its highest at 1.27pm (Sunday afternoon), some rough seas and a strong south-westerly swell in the Andaman Sea and Phang Nga Bay, and a small earthquake in northern Sumatra earlier on Sunday morning. 

Some online posts of a flooded road in Kalim were describing it as a 'tsunami', as waves washed onto the low-lying road heading into Patong. 

SCREENSHOT: Newshawk Phuket

There were also posts with photos taken near the Sarasin bridge at the north of the island.

Earlier on Sunday morning there was a small earthquake in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, about 55 kilometres from West Aceh Regency. It was a 4.9 magnitude earthquake, land-based. There was no tsunami warning issued. The quake struck at 7.11am, local time, almost 6 hours before the king tide was at it highest, washing waves onto some low-lying areas along Phuket's west coast.

Small land-based earthquake in Sumatra

There was no connection between the king-tide along the Andaman coastline and the earlier land-based earthquake in northern Sumatra.

The king tide also caused some damage at the Maya Bay pier, on the east side of Koh Phi Phi Leh, where the steel pier structure tore away from the floating plastic pontoons. The access to Maya Bay was closed down after the incident.

The structure was only completed late last year for the reopening of Maya Bay to avoid boats having to enter the bay from the entrance and park inside the bay, as in the past.

PHOTO: Five Star Marine, Phuket

SOURCE: Phuket-Go

Lack of flights, rising fuel costs mar revival. Tourism authority banking on Q4 boost. Insufficient inbound international flights and surging airfares are challenging the recovery arc for the Thai tourism industry as the country pins its hopes on the upcoming high season in its quest to welcome 10 million tourists this year, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Bangkok Post

Lack of flights, rising fuel costs mar revival

Foreign visitors queue to check in for their flights at Suvarnabhumi airport. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)

Insufficient inbound international flights and surging airfares are challenging the recovery arc for the Thai tourism industry as the country pins its hopes on the upcoming high season in its quest to welcome 10 million tourists this year, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the number of international flights stands at only 30% of the pre-pandemic level. He said to help revive the whole industry, the country should have at least 55% of the airline seat capacity recorded prior to the pandemic, which could happen during the fourth quarter as Korean Air and Air Canada have confirmed their schedules for non-stop services.

Air Canada plans to commence its first direct route from Vancouver to Bangkok with four flights a week using Boeing 787 jets from Dec 1, 2022 until April 17, 2023. Korean Air made a commitment to the TAT during its recent visit to Seoul that it would resume flights to Thailand in the fourth quarter.

However, many airlines are reluctant to expand their routes or increase frequencies as several global uncertainties threaten profit prospects, including hefty operational costs caused by soaring fuel prices as well as the longer flying time required to avoid the skies above the Russian-Ukraine combat zone.

"Tourists face higher travel costs, particularly from inflation and airfares, which have increased by 20-40%. The TAT is working with airlines, both scheduled and chartered services, to roll out joint promotions to help offset those costs. However, for Europe's summer season in August, it might be too late to prepare any stimulus packages," said Mr Yuthasak.

Hotel operators indicated the average occupancy rate should reach 55% to benefit the whole supply chain, but the current flow of tourists is not strong enough to persuade more hotels to reopen and bring back their employees.

According to the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), the average occupancy rate in Thailand stands at 34%, while 80% of properties have revenue of less than 50% of the level recorded before the pandemic.

Chamnan Srisawat, president of the TCT, said a labour shortage could be a major hindrance during the upcoming high season if arrivals do reach government targets.

He said hotels that need to recruit more workers will find hiring difficult if offering similar wages as before, given inflation, the likelihood of a higher minimum wage this year, and the insecurity of hospitality jobs.

Mr Chamnan said companies and the TAT are joining to offer a "Booster Shot" project along with the Centre for Economic Situation Administration, aiming to create a million jobs in the tourism sector this year by offering airline seats and room nights in smaller hotels with discount prices.

Endemic Roadmap Adjusted as Authorities Assess Situation. Health authorities have postponed their evaluation of the COVID-19 situation and the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants in pursuit of greater clarity on the issue. The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will instead make its assessment on Friday (8 July). NNT

 

by Natthaphon Sangpolsit

    

BANGKOK (NNT) - Health authorities have postponed their evaluation of the COVID-19 situation and the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants in pursuit of greater clarity on the issue. The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will instead make its assessment on Friday (8 July).

 

National Security Council Secretary-General Gen Supoj Malaniyom said moving the CCSA discussion on the endemic transition plan scheduled for last Friday (1 July) was necessitated by the recent easing of disease control measures, which in turn required adjustments and clarification on the transition.

 

The health ministry is now making the necessary adjustments and will be presenting the plan to the CCSA meeting for acknowledgment and endorsement.

 

Gen Supoj noted that relevant medical personnel are still performing analyses and making their determinations, but assured that authorities were prepared to manage the situation. He added, however, that members of the public are encouraged to continue following disease prevention guidelines.

 

Deputy Public Health Minister Dr Sathit Pitutecha meanwhile said the transition to the post-pandemic phase does not mean everyone should remove their face masks.

 

He nevertheless indicated that new infections are not expected to result in a rise in severe cases or fatalities, adding that the current number of available hospital beds is expected to be adequate.

 

Dr Sathit also encouraged people, especially members of vulnerable groups, to get their COVID booster vaccines as soon as possible.

Big reaction to rising airfares from Bangkok. We at AseanNow.com have received just under 11,000 views on the topic of surging airfares and to date nearly one hundred of you have posted a reply. ASEAN NOW

File photo for reference only

 

OPINION | by Michael Bridge

 

Suvarnabhumi airport these past few days has experienced a big increase in traffic both inbound and outbound due to the relaxing of Covid regulations.

 

"Travel will see a strong resurgence because conditions [for entry] will return to almost pre-Covid normality' said a CAAT director. 

 

Well, his predictions seem to be coming true, as the urge to travel by a global population coming out of the pandemic and lockdowns is gaining momentum.
 
We at AseanNow.com have received just under 11,000 views on the topic of surging airfares and to date nearly one hundred of you have posted a reply.

 

Certainly, traveling overseas to say Europe is expensive as the route from Thailand is that much longer due to the additional miles flown to avoid Russian airspace.

 

Also, that old chestnut of school holidays tends to put up airfares too.

 

In the old days one could pick up a bargain by leaving it to the last minute, but this has all changed so people are having to grab a seat straight away to avoid even higher rates.

 

This coupled with the fuel hikes have made airlines look at the budgets and schedules and inevitably we the passengers must pay more.

 

As an example, on Wednesday, I went of Qatar's website and got the lowest return fare offered in July was THB56,340.

 

Now four days later the same fare had gone up to THB57.545.

 

Here are a cross-section of some of your replies here. 

If you booked two months in advance tickets were still cheap up until about a month or two ago. 
 
$600 for a ticket from Bangkok to Toronto up until May but now it's $4000.

I booked a return flight to my home country back in April for October, it cost me 18,260 baht on sale, today it's on sale again at 22,595 baht, that's a 23.74% increase and on sale, WOW. 

 

There have been over two intervening years, and the price of oil and related fuels has gone up from about $50 to double that. The rise you see in flight costs doesn't seem so bad. 

 

Cashing in on school holidays. it's a joke even I'm looking at flights for August one way £500 ish mark now ... 

I was looking this morning at quite a few reputable airlines. 

THB50k + for economy return to LHR and back
THB150k + for business to LHR and back

 

Yes, but be careful who you book with if in a desperate search. Meaning that there are some bad agents out there who will show attractive priced tickets but when the time to fly gets close you will get an email to say the flight price has changed etc. That is when the harm begins. Always better to book directly with the airline although it will be a bit more expensive. Sorry to say that some of these foreign agencies with agents calling themselves name such as Jimmy or David are to be avoided at all costs. 

 

Finally, the current expensive flights are caused by 1 / Fuel costs 2 / Reduced flights because of lack of check in staff and baggage handlers 3 / High season and school holidays.

 

If a one-way airfare from Bangkok to Phuket is cheaper than a taxi ride from Phuket airport to a destination within the island, then there must be something definitely wrong. 

 

I just booked with Aegean Airlines / Saudi Airlines Business Class £1200.The wife got 6 weeks off plus it's her birthday. And I haven't seen her in over 2 years due to covid I leave on the 18th of July ... I'm so pleased right now actually I'm buzzing with the outcome.

 

Recently booked direct return flights for BKK-LHR for Sept with Eva. Under 30K.
Quite happy with that as I think not far off from pre-Covid price?
Just booked Qatar BKK/LGW return....33,500 baht...so did quite well by the looks of it. 

 

I will not be booking air travel out of Thailand for at least the next 2 years.  It's just good luck and planning that I live in a tropical location anyway and have no real need or desire to spend the money or endure the hassle of aircraft and airports. Just crack another beer, stay by my pool, and watch the mayhem that is air travel at the moment, from as long a distance as possible. 

 

The bottom line is unless you must travel soon, try looking at the cheaper days to fly.

 

Weekends are often busier and national holidays as well.

 

Kayak the online booking website shows the cheapest days of the month to travel which could save you a few dollars or baht.

🔴 #COVID19 update on Monday ⬇️ 1,995 new cases ⬇️ 18 deaths ⬇️ 24,818 active cases ⬇️ 677 serious cases. TNR / Richard Barrow

Thailand's Public Health Minister Anutin recovers from Covid-19 Coronavirus. Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is back to work tomorrow having fully recovered from Covid19, which he says was mild and thanks being vaccinated six times.- The Pattaya News

Thailand's Public Health Minister Anutin recovers from Covid-19 Coronavirus

Nop MeechukhunSunday, 3 July 2022, 13:24

Bangkok –

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has announced his recovery from the Covid-19 infection after posting a picture of his two negative results of the Covid-19 ATK test today, July 2nd.

Anutin, who tested positive on June 28th, showed pictures of his negative results, one was taken at 2:10 PM. and the other was at 2:15 PM. and wrote a short comment, saying: "[I'm] ready to get back to work on July 4th."

Anutin suffered only mild symptoms and had been vaccinated six times against Covid-19. He claimed he was infected while on an overseas business trip recently to Europe.



Passengers on flights to Thailand SHOULD all wear masks on the plane - it's not fake news. ASEAN NOW

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Thailand's Anti-Fake News Center investigated after reports that the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand reported said that all passengers must wear masks on flights entering Thailand from today (July 1st).

 

They discovered that it was true.

 

Although the wording showed it was only partially true, suggests ASEAN NOW.

 

The CAAT had a number of rules related to the ending of Thailand Pass and vax and testing  requirements on their site.

 

But they advised that mask wearing on the plane was "recommended" as the cabin was an enclosed and sealed space. 

 

Thus it was deemed not fake news though it appeared not to be a stipulation of boarding a flight.