Thailand's immigration bureau has undergone enormous changes in the last 100 years.
For most of Thailand's history, entry and exit into the kingdom was unsupervised. Many of the early settlers were Chinese. A 50-strong immigration department, as it was originally named, was established in 1927 and transferred to the Royal Thai Police in 1932. Although regular expansion occurred, particularly as mass air travel became a world feature, it was the 1979 immigration act which established the features of registering and controlling foreigners which are still dominant today.
The end of the seismic Vietnam war in 1975, with the collapse of American influence in Cambodia and Laos as well, created mass movement of refugees to Thailand (which had avoided close involvement) in the years that followed. The 1979 act toughened up visa regulations and insisted on knowing the whereabouts of foreigners during their stay. In fact, the origin of address registration and 90 days reporting was to track economic migrants from neighboring countries rather than the millions of leisure tourists who also became caught in the net.
The 1980s and 1990s witnessed an unparalleled boom in intercontinental air travel. Thai immigration authorities, under government instructions, consciously soft-pedalled visa restrictions by allowing long-stay foreigners to make repeat border-runs or in-out flights to renew or extend their visas. By 1991, one year visas and extensions of stay had appeared, whilst work-permit holders were no longer forced to fly to Penang and back every three months. Retirement visas were also permitted, although the minimum age at first was 60 years and the money in a Thai bank was described as "any six figure sum", or a minimum of 100,000 baht.
By the new millennium, restrictions were starting to appear. Government research suggested that there were millions of foreigners living in Thailand without the authorities knowing their whereabouts, their motivations or their income sources. Thai embassies abroad required more paperwork to issue visas and the number of border runs to Cambodia in particular was restricted, eventually to only two in a calendar year. Increasing numbers of foreigners found guilty of illegal working, criminal activity or visa irregularities were deported via the well-publicized and overcrowded immigration detention center.
New technology was the key to enabling the immigration bureau to keep a closer watch. United Nations agencies in particular donated computerized systems to strengthen air, sea and land monitoring to counter irregular migration and transnational crime. In 2014, the latest Verifier Travel Document and Bearer workstations were installed at Suvarnabhumi airport, later extended nationwide, which made passport fraud and migrant smuggling in particular risky enterprises indeed. Computerised liaison with Interpol has also smashed a number of pedophile networks, international forgery rings and terrorist groups.
At the present time, the government is promoting its visa plans for high-value tourists and expats. This concept is not actually new, as the affluent Elite card visa was introduced as early as 2003 although it has certainly had a checkered history. Contemporary initiatives include LTR (Long Term Resident) visas with the possibility of property purchases and flexible working regulations for executives and the well-heeled. The precise details have not yet appeared in the Royal Gazette.
The tourist ghost towns created by the pandemic have definitely affected immigration issues. Following the termination of Thailand Pass from July 1 2022, the 30 days visa-exempt discretion for nationals of around 60 countries has been extended to 45 days and the TM6 landing card bureaucracy has been suspended for air arrivals, though not for sea and land passengers. Requirements for medical insurance, both Covid and all purpose, have also disappeared for almost all visas or extensions, a reflection of similar decisions in force in Thailand's competitor nations in the ASEAN region.
Thailand's immigration service has grown from a tiny force in 1927 to a huge enterprise today which has a budget of over 350 million baht and a fleet of almost 300 vehicles and sea craft. There is currently speculation that Thailand is overdue for an overhaul to simplify the country's complex visa system which has overlapping and even contradictory bureaucratic rules for similar target groups. The confusion is well documented every day on well-informed social media, especially Asean Now and its resident hosts. A particularly popular move would be to improve online registration of personal details because the immigration websites in question are prone to breakdown. After all, the most efficient immigration systems in the world are those you don't have to visit too often.
Thailand to consider interim measures to prevent Covid spread
The meeting of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) today could consider some interim measures to prevent the wildfire spread of the Covid-19 virus after the country's infection rates has been on a steep increase prompting many to question the official figures that are being released.
The surge in infection has prompted many schools to give a longer breaks in order to stem the outbreak and some have even opted to go back to online classes.
With official numbers as of this morning being at a mere 2,144 new cases that was announced by the Ministry of Public Health Ministry, Thailand is now facing a critical time yet again.
The Deputy Minister of the Public Health Ministry, Satit Pitutacha yesterday admitted that he 'believes' the real figure of infected people must be higher than the ones being announced because the official announcement only counts the RT-PCR and registered ATK.
Even though the claim has not been confirmed directly, one thing that is assured is the rise of this pandemic outbreak has caused significant trouble in the educational field.
Schools Shut Down
Thailand is now 2 months into the opening of their term and over the past few days, many schools have decided to close down again, but only temporarily.
On July 6, the Bangkok Christian College put out a briefing on its study method from July 11-19due to the Covid-19 situation within. By far, over 700 students and school personnel combined are infected.
The statement read out that there was an effort to shut down classes with over 10% infection, and though the results were quite satisfying, the rapidly growing number of infections is concerning.
Shortly after the Bangkok Christian College released its online study announcement, the Patumwan Demonstration School, on July 7, also sent out its briefing. To the rising case of Covid-19, the school will be closed from July 8-12, then reopen on July 18.
On the same day, Kasetsart University Sathit School Center for Educational Research and Development announced that the school will to switch from the onsite study to online. The paper stated that the online study will take place from July 11-12, and on July 18, the school will switch back to the onsite study, thereafter.
This morning, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Public Health revealed to the press that there is no Covid-19 measures adjustment, and for the spread among schools he said that the Ministry has monitored and instructed the schools already.
"I personally think it is a normal circumstance, and most kids have mild symptoms," he said. And for the likes of school closure policy, the Minister said that that will be awaited until there is a meeting.
Mandatory Mask
The rules relating to mandatory mask wearing has been eased up since July 1 and call are getting louder to bring it back on as the number of infections in the country surges.
Earlier, Prof. Dr. Prasit Watanapa, dean of the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, has pointed out that it would not take too long before BA.4 and BA.5 become the main strain of Covid-19 spreading.
Since the infection rate is climbing, Prasit, therefore, suggested the government must go back to serious prevention measures, especially on the mask mandatory front. The regulations to wear masks in closed areas will help prevent the infection, and the MoPH should purpose that in the meeting, he claimed.
The meeting of CCSA today is expected to consider measures that needs to be put in place with 2014 coup leader and current Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, looking to chair the meeting.
The comments come as the Thai baht depreciates against the US dollar and is about to pass the ฿36 to the dollar mark as the kingdom still struggles to recover its lost foreign tourism industry even though momentum is rising. The World Bank estimates that it will be 2026 before a full recovery is achieved in the sector while the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is only aiming for 50% occupancy this year for reopened hotels and is aiming for just over 50% of former foreign tourist numbers next year with 22 million visitors projected.
As Thai foreign tourist arrivals begin to climb towards one million visitors a month, a recovery in the badly damaged foreign tourism industry is underway which is imperative for an economy and less well-off people, flailing from the impact of rising inflation, the highest in 14 years, Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has come out to urge Thai tourism operators to hold firm on their prices and not to offer discounts to incoming holidaymakers. Minister Anutin told a trade event on Monday that the kingdom must brand itself as a premium destination worthy of higher prices, comparing the country's industry to luxury Louis Vuitton handbags.
Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday urged foreign tourism industry trade operators to hold firm on their prices and advocated that Thailand change its pitch to become a premium tourism offering in the future. The message comes as foreign tourist numbers are recovering and gaining momentum but very much based on Thailand's traditional mass tourism model which is driven by the country's hospitality industry, reputation for low prices and year-round sunshine.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul, speaking at a tourism promotion event at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Monday, urged Thailand's tourism trade not to offer low cost or competitive prices to foreign tourists now returning to Thailand as the industry begins to show positive signs of improvement following an easing of regulations over the last few months and in particular, the scrapping of the Thailand Pass pre-approval system from July 1st.
These moves have seen foreign tourism numbers jump nearly fivefold in three months as potential travellers, particularly repeat visitors to Thailand, find the more convenient conditions and the country's attractions which have made it one of the most popular destinations in the world, a potent draw.
Thailand built its hugely successful foreign tourism sector on cheap sun, beer and entertainment over the last sixty years as air travel also expanded
Thailand has always been seen as a low-cost destination despite its long distance from many of its key markets with the country's weather, entertainment and hospitality sectors being key strengths that have built up the kingdom's huge appeal over the last six decades.
The country's rise as a tourism hub coincided with the mass availability and proliferation of air travel and airline routes with 2019's record year being very much linked to maximising transport and air travel links.
It should be noted that Mr Anutin's Bhumjaithai Party also controls the Ministry of Transport in the large coalition government, in power since 2019, where the minister is a Bhumjaithai Party and Buriram province favourite, Mr Saksayam Chidchob.
Deputy Prime Minister urges foreign tourism trade to become a Premium offering and to hold firm on prices
However, on Monday, the emphatic advice from minister Anutin, who has been recently credited with Thailand's controversial move to legalise marijuana and who made a name for himself for his hawkish stance on introducing and later removing pandemic restrictions, was that the key players in the still damaged and challenged industry should try to avoid offering discounts and package deals to incoming foreign tourists from around the world, at this time.
His comments came as Thailand's tourism industry is still struggling to recover from the closure of the country in 2020 with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently setting a target of achieving just a 50% occupancy rate for the hotels in the kingdom that have reopened this year after the number of foreign tourists plunged in 2021 by nearly 99% to 421,000 out of a figure seen in 2019 of 39.8 million.
Reopened hotels operating on marginal profitability with an occupancy rate target for 2022 of only 50%
A survey, some months ago, by the Thai Hotels Association showed that 45% were still operating on a financial liquidity basis of 3 months' operating costs.
The same survey showed that only 19% of hotels generated just half of their normal income while a full 49% of hotels were earning just 30%.
This is expected to improve with the growing strength of numbers now arriving in Thailand.
At the same time, the kingdom has yet only seen 2 million arrivals from January to June this year although arrival numbers are growing impressively with an expected arrivals figure, still to be confirmed, of 821,000 from June 1st to July 3rd last.
Full recovery only seen in 2026 says World Bank
Thailand's foreign tourism agency, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is predicting that the kingdom will see a rebound to half its previous levels in 2023 with 22 million visitors with the World Bank forecasting that it will take a further three years or sometime in 2026 before the sector fully recovers from the damage inflicted by the government shutdowns which have deeply scarred the industry leaving many firms and a significant proportion of its former tourism infrastructure permanently closed.
Nevertheless, on Monday, Deputy PM Anutin was adamant that Thai business operators must change their marketing and business model to a premium one aiming to attract well-heeled and high-spending visitors as opposed to foreign tourists looking for cheap holidays in the sun.
'We cannot let people come to Thailand and stay because it's cheap,' Minister Anutin told the trade event to promote foreign tourism. 'Instead, they should say 'because it works, it's reasonable', that's where we can increase value.'
Anutin has been a politician since 1996 and is also a highly successful businessman after saving the family construction firm after the 1997 crisis
55-year-old Mr Anutin, a former Thai Rak Thai Party MP who served as Deputy Minister of Public Health and Deputy Commerce Minister in the government of ex-Premier, Thaksin Shinawatra, from 2004 to 2005 before taking on his more senior ministerial role in 2019 after the Bhumjaithai Party, which he leads, came in 5th in the March 2019 General Election with 10.3% of the vote and 51 seats in parliament, was the President of the Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction Plc, a family-run firm which he successfully took from near bankruptcy after the 1997 Financial Crisis to notable success before going into politics.
After the 2006 coup and the demise of the Thai Rak Thai Party, Mr Anutin was banned from politics in Thailand for five years during which he learned to fly his own aeroplane.
In 2012, he piloted a new aircraft from Cannes in France to Thailand in a week-long journey.
'When in the skies, I can move the plane to the left or right. It's total freedom,' he said at the time, although he highlighted how his training as a pilot has impacted his decision-making process. 'Though I put it on auto-pilot, I always have to think ahead. If this or that happens, what should I do? I have to be prepared.'
Controversy in February and March 2020 in outbursts against western foreigners or tourists to Thailand
However, in March 2020, at that point, a Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health, he emerged as less than prepared for an intense backlash when he appeared to attack western foreigners in Thailand still in the country as the kingdom struggled to grapple with the then-impending crisis which put the senior minister in the spotlight following a visit to the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai.
Referring to western foreigners who are known in Thailand as 'farang', a term linked to 17th-century French visitors to the ancient kingdom of Ayutthaya, his Twitter account emitted an extraordinary outburst.
'All you see are farangs. They flee their own countries for the safety of Thailand. In Chiang Mai, 90% of Thais are wearing face masks, although none of the farangs are wearing masks,' Anutin's account fumed. 'This is the reason our country is being infected. We should be more careful of the farang than other Asians. At the moment, it is winter in Europe and farangs come to Thailand to hide from the disease. Many farang dress dirtily and don't shower. All hosts have to be very careful.'
Later, the minister's Twitter account was deleted and he appeared to issue an apology while also denying that he was responsible for the incident.
This followed another incident at a BTS station in Bangkok after Minister Anutin became outraged when a European man refused his offer of a free face mask in a promotion by the Ministry of Public Health was running on the transport concourse.
At the time, he threatened to contact foreign embassies in Thailand and have foreigners who refused to wear a face mask removed from the kingdom.
Later, a face mask mandate came into force through both national regulations under the Emergency Decree and local bye-laws.
In recent weeks, Thailand has moved to relax these provisions for outdoor use although both Minster Anutin and Prime Minister Prayut Chan ocha urged the public to continue wearing them with the vast majority of the Thai public heeding this signal as a matter of personal choice as well as many foreigners.
The Bhumjaithai Party, which Deputy Prime Minister Anutin leads, also runs the country's Ministry of Tourism and Sports which is led by Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
Goal is to be a premium foreign tourism offering just like expensive Louis Vuitton handbags says Anutin
On Monday, as he advocated that Thailand pursues a premium foreign tourism strategy instead of the cheap sun and booze mass tourism model that has made the kingdom the fourth most visited destination in the world, Minister Anutin compared Thailand to ultra-expensive and luxury handbag firm, Louis Vuitton.
'Hold your ground. Sell premium. The more expensive, the more customers,' he explained. 'Otherwise, Louis Vuitton wouldn't have any sales.'
Since entering government, the deputy prime minister has seen his Bhumjaithai Party plummet in the polls to just 2.65% in the latest National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) poll with a 1.52% vote for its leader as a possible prime minister placing him in tenth place behind a large field of more popular candidates.
This was an improvement for his party on a March poll which had the Bhumjaithai Party at 1.88%.
Bhumjaithai support fell due to its 2019 switch from opposition to a party in an unpopular government
Most analysts attribute the fall in support for the party to its participation in what has proven to be an unpopular government.
This is deeply felt, in particular among ordinary people or the less well off.
There is a feeling the country's swingeing lock down measures from 2020 to 2021 were too severe causing a large proportion of the economy to collapse particularly in the informal sector, much of which has never recovered.
It should also be recalled that in 2019, the Bhumjaithai Party portrayed itself as a party of opposition to the status quo.
There were also hard questions asked of Minister Anutin in 2021 at the height of the crisis in Thailand over the government's vaccination programme rollout which, at one point, appeared shambolic when supplies failed to match national demand and the planned schedule.
Even as foreign tourism recovery gains ground, there are still millions of people struggling to recover
Even as the kingdom's foreign tourism industry and economy enter a mild recovery mode with projections last week to the government suggesting that Thailand will see 9.3 million visitors in 2022 or 7.2 million in the latter six months of the year, these figures are well down on the figures seen in 2019 leaving millions of Thai people in the sector still either unemployed or underemployed with figures in the last few months showing that up to 59.8% of those formerly laid off had returned to work.
The emergency period has shown that Thailand is uniquely dependent on foreign tourism which is also the key engine in the latter half of 2022 as the kingdom faces a severe economic challenge from rampant inflation with a 14-year rate high of 7.66% just confirmed for June and a deprecating baht well passed a 15 year low against the US dollar as it approaches the ฿36 to the dollar range this week.
Thailand is the fourth most popular destination in the world and is seen as a place to relax and unwind
In April, the Visa Global Travel Intentions Study confirmed Thailand as the world's most favoured destination after the United States, the United Kingdom and India for foreign tourists.
The survey also showed that relaxation was the key benefit sought by foreign tourists when visiting Thailand among 73% of those who planned to visit the country.
Respondents to the survey particularly identified Thailand's massage industry as a key attraction with 48% suggesting that their holiday goal was to find relief from work and life stress while the remaining 25% identified relaxation through adventure activities in Thailand as the key motivation for visiting the country.
PHUKET: A tsunami evacuation drill will be held on July 30, after a series of underwater earthquakes off the Nicobar Islands raised residents' fears of an impending tsunami, governor Narong Woonciew said yesterday.
The governor said he had instructed deputy governor Anuparp Rodkwan Yodrabam, the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office and other agencies to keep a close watch on the situation.
They had been told to ensure staff, work crews and equipment were ready to respond should there be a tsunami, Mr Narong said.
"We have been prepared for it since Phuket experienced a tsunami in 2004. We can't be complacent. What is of high importance is the safety of the people," he said.
Udomporn Kan, chief of the Phuket disaster prevention and mitigation office, said the strong southwest monsoon, high rainfall and a high tide on Sunday had sent waves surging ashore. Several beachside roads, including Hat Sai Kaew, were flooded, and this caused panic.
"I can assure you that the high tide had nothing to do with a tsunami. For a tsunami to form there must be an earthquake with a magnitude of seven or more on the Richter scale along the Nicobar fault line.
"The National Disaster Warning Centre closely monitors all factors which may lead to earthquakes and a tsunami," he said.
From Monday to Tuesday, the National Disaster Warning Centre detected 23 earthquakes of about 4.7 magnitude off the Nicobar Islands, about 540 kilometres northwest of Phuket, but they had no impact on Thailand, Mr Udomporn said.
These quakes were also reported by the navy's wave-monitoring station on Koh Miang, off Phangnga province.
He said his office is ready to handle a tsunami. There are 19 warning towers around Phuket and they are tested regularly, by playing the national anthem at 8am every Wednesday.
If a tsunami was coming, warnings would be issued for people living in coastal areas. There would also be announcements in five languages -- English, Thai, Japanese, Chinese and Russian.
In the first warning, the magnitude of the earthquake would be reported. In the second, people would be told to get ready for evacuation.
Mr Udomporn said there would be a tsunami evacuation drill on July 20 in Phuket's Thalang district, starting at 10am.
District officials will meet state agencies ahead of the drill, so they can prepare and be ready to respond in case of an emergency, he said.
Govt plans to charge foreigners more than Thais for hotel rooms
A man speaks to hotel concierges at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on July 1, 2022. The tourism ministry plans to ask hotel operators to implement a dual-tariff structure under which foreign visitors may be charged rates similar to pre-pandemic days while locals may continue to enjoy discounted rates. (AFP)
Foreign tourists may soon find Thailand a more expensive destination than in the past two years with the country now planning to raise hotel rates to pre-pandemic levels to support a faster recovery of the industry.
The tourism ministry plans to ask hotel operators to implement a dual-tariff structure under which foreign visitors may be charged rates similar to pre-pandemic days while locals may continue to enjoy discounted rates, Traisuree Taisaranakul, a government spokeswoman said in a statement on Wednesday.
"This is to maintain our standards of rates and services for foreign tourists, which affects the perception of country's tourism brand," Ms Traisuree said. "Rates that have been reduced during Covid-19 will be maintained for Thais to sustain the momentum of domestic tourism."
Hotels in tourism hotspots such as Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi and Koh Samui continue to offer huge discounts to draw back visitors after the pandemic pushed room occupancy rates to about 30%.
While there was no immediate response to the proposal from hotel operators, the tourism ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand will soon hold talks with the Hotel Association of Thailand about the dual pricing plan, according to Ms Traisuree.
While the country has scrapped all Covid-related travel restrictions, the tourism sector is still reeling from heavy losses accumulated during the pandemic. The government expects 9.3 million foreign arrivals this year, a fraction of the 40 million tourists who arrived in 2019.
It was not immediately clear how the government's new plan to attract more foreign tourists to Thailand - by raising prices and charging them more than Thais - would impact foreigners living in the kingdom.
A series of continuous 4.0 – 4.9 magnitude earthquakes struck the Andaman and Nicobar islands for a period of 3 days, 506 kilometres away from Thailand's Andaman coast. More than 40 tremors occurred, beginning July 4 at 6:00am and continuing until this morning, July 6.
The epicentre of the tremors was only 10 kilometres deep, making the chance of a tsunami extremely low, according to Thailand's Metereological Department. Such tremors happen regularly, said the department.
Chulalongkorn University's Department of Geology said the earthquakes were caused by normal fault movement and are extremely unlikely to cause a tsunami. In the rare occurrence that the tremors did trigger a tsunami, it would be low scale and not nearly as destructive as the 2004 Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami, said the department.
The series of tremors sparked concerns that two of Thailand's tsunami buoys are not working. However, Phuket's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation would like to assure the public that there are good warning systems and response plans in place if a tsunami were to occur.
Phuket's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation confirmed that 19 warning towers around the island are working well. If a tsunami occurred, the towers' alarms would sound loudly and issue warnings in 5 languages. The department said the towers' speakers will be tested by playing the national anthem from the towers at 8:00am every Wednesday morning.
The department said there will be a tsunami evacuation drill in Phuket's Thalang district on July 20.
Phuket's Earthquake Monitoring and Surveillance Centre has asked volunteers to listen out for the sound of the alarm towers along the Andaman coast and educate people about tsunamis.
The centre says an earthquake will only trigger a tsunami if the earthquake has a magnitude higher than 6.5, is caused by the subduction of oceanic tectonic plates and has a deep epicentre.
So, it was concluded that the series of tremors that occurred at the Andaman and Nicobar islands cannot cause a tsunami. However, the centre says the situation should still be monitored.
The earthquakes were linked to flooding that occurred at Sai Kaew beach, which sparked concerns that a tsunami might occur. But if a tsunami was on the way, the water would drain from the beach first.
The centre says earthquakes of 6.5 – 7.9magnitude can trigger small-scale tsunamis that would not cause significant damage to property. Whereas 7.6 – 7.9magnitude earthquakes can trigger tsunamis that cause significant damage, especially near the epicentre. Earthquakes with a magnitude higher than 7.9, and especially as high as 9.0, can trigger tsunamis that cause widespread destruction.
The centre says their response time is good and if a tsunami was approaching, there would be ample to vacate the island of Phuket.
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…
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
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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.
Thai government should reveal all Covid-19 daily infections and data, consider bringing back mask mandate and some restrictions, leading Thai doctor says
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 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.
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:
Notify medical staff of the situation so they can prepare services and protect themselves accordingly.
Ensure sufficient supplies of medicines and protective equipment.
Prepare beds for severely ill Covid patients.
Ensure referral system is operating efficiently.
Speed up booster jab programme for medical staff and citizens.
Publicise advice on how to prevent the disease from spreading.
Cooperate with related local agencies on control and prevention measures.
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.
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.
