INN revealed that Thailand is now a signatory to the International Code for the Protection of Tourists (ICPT) that has been promoted by the World Tourism Council.
They have promised to work towards ensuring the safety of all tourists and building tourism confidence.
As Thailand enters High Season 2022-23 and pandemic angst begins to fade, a big seminar was arranged in Phuket called the Tourism Safety and Security Conference.
On behalf of the Thai Tourist Police Pol Maj-Gen Apichart Suribunya, deputy and spokesman, explained the various roles of the tourist police.
Picture: INN
As well as crucially how they differ from the mainstream force and other sections.
Apichart also explained how a swanky new online system operated by the tourist police will be unveiled for real time help to tourists from next year.
Picture: INN
The police had been invited by the British embassy to the conference that was also organized by the Australia embassy in Thailand.
A further promise was made to listen to the views of tourists to make their experience better next time.
INN's report was ideal for breakfast time - full of waffle and lacking in substance.
It appears that the airline, kept alive by cargo freight income and the protection of the court through the pandemic emergency, has made substantial progress in trimming its previously huge cost base while capturing market share as the country reopened with other international airlines, for now, scrambling after richer pickings while others are not able to compete on routes to Bangkok as before. However, Bangkok Bank, a key dissenting creditor in a submission to the Central Bankruptcy Court has expressed its doubts about the firm's high-flying plans to find further credit which includes an expressed intention to relaunch itself on the stock market by 2025.
As part of its revised business plan approved by the Central Bankruptcy Court in Bangkok on Thursday, Thai Airways will finally begin refunding ticket purchases made by customers before it filed for bankruptcy in May 2022. Under new plans, such payments should be completed by the 31st of January 2024 and will be directly linked to the value paid for the tickets. The airline which has had its operating performance boosted since the reopening of Thailand earlier this year is projected to fly 4.4 million passengers in 2022 with an average flight load of about 80%. However, there are still challenges with the airline still restricted from flying to certain countries or territories fearing action by key dissenting creditors and comments from Bangkok Bank, which opposes the plan, to the court since September questioning the airline's ability to access further credit to implement its business plan by the end of 2024, the cornerstone of which is a ฿25 billion rights issue with debts owed to creditor converted into capital before the airline is again refloated on the stock exchange.
The Chief Financial Officer of Thai Airways, Chai Eamsiri, submitted information to the Central Bankruptcy Court in September as it considered the firm's revised business plan and objections from dissenting creditors such as Bangkok Bank. The firm has succeeded in drastically reducing its costs and is performing very well in 2022. This has allowed it to bring forward and improve on many aspects of its business plan which it hopes will see it return to the stock exchange in 2025 as a leaner and more profitable concern.
The Central Bankruptcy Court in Bangkok, on Thursday, approved key elements of a revised business reorganisation plan as part of efforts to restructure the debts of the country's flag carrier Thai Airways.
A key part of the plan given the green light by the Central Bankruptcy Court which communicated its decision by digital means, was a plan to refund passenger prepayments made before the airline filed for bankruptcy in May 2020.
Refund payments paid through credit cards and other means, to be complete by the 31st of January 2024
Under revised provisions, agreed by the court on Thursday, these payments are expected to be paid, in many cases through the refund of credit card payments, to passengers by the end of January 2024.
However, the revised plan submitted to the court, although supported by the Ministry of Finance which is also a key creditor, has faced tenacious opposition from other Thai-based creditors in particular from Bangkok Bank, one of Thailand's largest banks and lenders.
In its judgement, on Thursday, the court reviewed proposals to amend the plans in respect of creditors abroad who are threatening to seize Thai Airways aircraft because of outstanding debt despite the bankruptcy process.
Management wanted to deal with creditors threatening to seize Thai Airways aircraft in key territories as a priority, it is a key problem
This, according to management, is proscribing the ability of those working to rehabilitate the airline's business to operate a fuller flight schedule in response to market conditions.
The amended plan was supported by a majority of the airline's creditors this September but still required approval of the court on Thursday after it vetted the proposal in considerable detail and listened to opposition from dissenting creditors.
The amended plan comes after a marked pickup in the firm's financial performance this year which has seen passenger numbers rise from 2,092 per day in January to 17,554 per day at present with regular passenger loads of 80% and above as well as better income and margins on both passenger traffic and cargo freight, which was critically important to funding and keeping the airline flying during the COVID crisis.
Leaner Thai Airways with lower operating costs is filling seats on flights again this year from Europe
The airline, in the course of its rehabilitation, has seen a halving of its workforce from twenty-nine thousand personnel to fourteen thousand four hundred with a resultant monthly wage bill of ฿700 million, reduced from ฿3 billion per month previously.
The airline has reduced its aircraft fleet to 58 planes, in the process, selling off 45 aircraft while it is expected to have taken delivery of three new Boeing 777-330 ER aircraft in October with two of these planes already delivered on October 18th and 19th while the third is due on October 26th.
These aircraft are suitable for lucrative long-haul flights and come with room for 8 first-class passengers, 40 business-class passengers and 255 seats for those flying economy.
Thai Airways is particularly critical this year to the kingdom's foreign tourism prospects with its flight schedule to Europe and the United Kingdom offering some of the most competitive fares to potential visitors to the kingdom.
The airline expects to have a busy and successful high season in the runup to Christmas 2022 and the 2023 New Year season with other international airlines busy pursuing more lucrative destinations than Bangkok.
Drawn out process where the Bankruptcy Court keeps oversight over all key decisions regarding creditors
The revised business plan, approved on Thursday, was submitted on July 1stlast and came after a creditors meeting was held electronically on September 1st 2022.
Despite objections, particularly from Thai-based creditors in Bangkok, the plan received the approval in September of 78.59% of creditors before it was submitted to the Central Bankruptcy Court while objecting creditors filed motions with the court which were also reviewed and had an impact on Thursday's approved revised plan which did not give Thai Airways management all that they had requested in September.
The plan being pursued was put forward by top executives at the airline including Chief Financial Officer Chai Eamsiri who made a submission to the court in September.
If successfully implemented, it will see the state's shareholding in the flag carrier reduced to 33% in the runup to the firm being refloated on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), a development now expected sometime in 2025.
Cornerstone of rehabilitation plan is the conversion of debt to equity in a slimmed-down ฿25 billion rights issue before a new stock exchange return
Thai Airways is forecast to fly 4.4 million passengers in 2022 giving it an average cabin load of 80% to 82%.
The amended business plan still anticipates the capitalisation of ฿25 billion within the company between now and the end of 2024 through the sale of new shares and the conversion of existing debt-equity.
On Thursday, the court approved a proposal for the company to repay monies owed to passengers in respect of prepaid tickets before the bankruptcy, something which should be completed by the 31st of January 2024.
The amount to be refunded, under the revised plans approved by the court, will be linked to the value of the tickets paid for by the customer.
Risk of aircraft being seized still exists in some countries and territories, executives sought approval to deal with the problem but the court demurred
The court's pronouncement on Thursday on the revised plan was detailed and dealt with a proposal from Thai Airways to prioritise payments to key creditors such as ground service providers deemed as essential to the ongoing continuance of the business and the furtherance of its business plans.
The court noted that such a course of action did not disadvantage other creditors
However, it did not immediately approve proposals in the revised plan to deal expeditiously with creditors in countries or territories where there is a risk, according to the airline, of its aircraft being seized.
Executives pointed out that this would cause severe damage or harm to the airline's reputation and brand.
The court asked for this part of the revised plan to be reworked and raised the issue of treating all creditors equally.
Bangkok Bank has emerged as a key dissenting creditor against the plan and has expressed scepticism about the airline's ability to find further credit
Bangkok Bank has emerged as a key objector to the firm's revised business plan and on Thursday, the court noted its contention that the airline will have to generate large amounts of credit to make the plan, as currently finalised, a success before the cornerstone of the rehabilitation process being the conversion of debt to equity, can proceed.
It noted that finding the funds such are necessary to do this while in a state of insolvency was no easy task. It also expressed concern about the airline incurring further debt.
However, the airline's management pointed to its surging prospects this year with a cash flow of around ฿20 billion and argued before the court that it needed to make changes to continue to push the plan towards its fruition.
Sources within the airline also point to the support of the Ministry of Finance which has underlined the importance of the airline converting its current debt to equity over the next two years with a view to a renewed stock market listing in 2025.
A new financial advisor will now be employed by the airline to put together the ฿25 billion package which has been halved this year due to a better-than-expected operating performance.
Thai Airways (THAI) received a much-needed boost today when the Central Bankruptcy Court approved the airline's request to overhaul its recovery plan. The news comes on the back of a THAI announcement that passengers increased by 80% this month and plans to double flights to Melbourne, Australia, in December.
Thailand's national flag carrier was told by the court to carry on after most of its creditors backed the revised plan, according to the Nation.
It was reported that about 79% of the creditors, including the Finance Ministry, endorsed THAI's revised recovery plan.
THAI has struggled over the past few years like most businesses on the back of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The airline filed for bankruptcy protection in late 2019 after reporting massive debts of 245 billion baht. The Cabinet in May 2020 gave the rehabilitation plan the go-ahead under the Bankruptcy Act, which was later approved by the Central Bankruptcy Court. But green shoots of recovery have sprouted over the past few months.
THAI made it known that it has seen a passenger increase of 80% for the first 10-days of this month, according to Thai Enquirer.
The airline said that its average passenger traffic stood at 17,554 people per day from 2,092 people per day in January 2022.
THAI added that travel demand continued to grow in the first 9-months of this year, due to the relaxation and removal of travel restrictions and restrictions in countries around the world.
Meanwhile, THAI announced plans to double flights between Melbourne Tullamarine and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi from December 1, according to simpleflying.com.
The flight schedule between Bangkok and Melbourne:
Bangkok to Melbourne
TG461: departs Bangkok at 8.20am, and arrives in Melbourne at 9.20pm.
TG465: departs Bangkok at 12.05am, and arrives in Melbourne at 1.05pm.
Melbourne to Bangkok
TG462: departs Melbourne at 12.30am, and arrives in Bangkok at 5.40am.
TG466: departs Melbourne at 3.25pm and arrives in Bangkok at 8.35pm.
#Thailand exported 100,389 cars in September, up 35.97% year-on-year and it was the highest in 9 months. The total value was 91.06 billion Baht.
For the first 9 months of 2022, the country exported 706,444 units, up 4.28% y-o-y. The total value was 642.55 billion Baht.
For domestic sales, 74,150 cars were sold in September, up 15.64% y-o-y thanks to tourism recovery, economic stimulus measures and new models.
For the first 9 months of 2022, 633,687 units were sold, up 19.13% y-o-y.
Downtown Phuket is flooded again tonight after heavy downpours that hit the popular resort island in southern Thailand.
Most businesses in the commercial centre of the city are closed. It's the second time in three days that it has been inundated.
Most shops have sandbags stacked up in front of them to prevent overflowing of floodwater while roads are closed to traffic and workers use water pumps to drain out water.
Phuket Mayor Saroj Angkanapilas said incessant downpour causes concerns of more severe flooding.
The inundation followed warning by authorities for residents living along the Bang Yai Canal, in Nakhon Phuket and Ratsada sub-districts, to prepare for overflows, following three days of continuous heavy rain.
The Meteorological Department reported on Wednesday that rain clouds were looming over several districts of Phuket, Phang-nga, Krabi, Trang, Surat Thani and Phatthalung provinces.
Thailand's BOI approves new five-year investment promotion strategy, focusing on innovative, competitive, and inclusive approach to new economy
Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI), at a board meeting held on 12 October 2022, approved the framework of its five-year investment promotion strategy (2023-2027), which focuses on entering the new economic era by encouraging technology advancement, the transition to green and smart industries, talent development, and connectivity to strengthen the country as a regional hub for businesses and logistics.
The new investment promotion strategy sets out to promote investment in a way that achieves concrete results around three core concepts, including (1) innovation, technology, and connectivity, (2) competitiveness and the ability to adapt quickly, and (3) inclusiveness, taking into account environmental sustainability.
To implement the new strategy, the BOI will undertake its investment promotion policies in seven pillars, as follows:
1) The upgrade of existing industries, in parallel with the building of new industries in which Thailand has high potential, and an overall strengthening of the supply chain;
2) The acceleration of the industrial transition to green and smart industries through investments in automation, digital adoption, and decarbonization;
3) The promotion of Thailand as a business center and an international trade and investment gateway for the region;
4) The strengthening of SMEs and startups, ensuring they are connected to the global market and supply chain;
5) The promotion of investments in the different regions of Thailand that fit the potential of each area and enable inclusive growth;
6) The promotion of investments that will promote community and social development;
7) The promotion of Thailand's overseas investments to expand business opportunities for Thai companies.
In addition, the BOI will broaden its role from a "promoter" providing tax and non-tax benefits, to becoming an "integrator" of investment-supporting tools, a "facilitator" providing services, and a "connector" linking industries to create more business opportunities.
News breaking yesterday that China Southern Airlines is planning to resume flights to Bangkok signals more good news for the Thailand tourism industry aiming to attract another 12 million foreign travellers before the end of the year.
In 2019 more than 12 million Chinese tourists travelled to Thailand, making up one-quarter of the kingdom's foreign arrivals.There had been a year-on-year increase from 2016, (8.76 million), 2017 (9.81 million), 2018 (10.54 million), and 2019 (12 million), but the Covid-19 pandemic cut the legs off any tourists visiting the Land of Smiles.
China Southern Airlines revealed it will resume services to Bangkok, Tokyo, Jakarta, Dubai, and Manila among other destinations at the end of the month, according to Bangkok Post.
But that's not all. China Eastern Airlines announced on Weibo that it will operate 108 international flights a week from October 30 on 42 routes, including Tokyo, Seoul, and Dubai, up from 54 flights and 25 routes now.
Air China resumed services in late September from several Chinese cities to Manila, Jakarta, Tokyo, Athens, Vancouver, and Los Angeles.
Hainan Airlines said on Saturday, October 15, that it would add a second weekly flight between Chongqing and Rome from November 6.
The announcements will come as a breath of fresh air to both Thailand and frustrated Chinese tourists unable to travel for the best part of three years because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
President Xi Jinping, in his opening speech atChina's 20th Party Congress in Beijing on Sunday, revealed that the mainland is still committed to a zero-Covid policy. But there appears to be a relaxing of border controls.
In June, China cut hotel quarantine time for arrivals to seven days, plus three days at home.
China Southern shares rose to 3.6% in Hong Kong on Tuesday morning, while China Eastern added as much as 5.6% and Air China jumped 5.1%. Beijing Capital International Airport Co advanced by 3.1%.
For now, flights in and out of China remain at about 95% below pre-Covid levels, according to data provider VariFlight.
Instead of wasting money on high energy bills this winter, Westerners should turn off the heating and spend their money in Thailand instead, advises the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
With wholesale gas and electricity prices rocketing in Europe TAT's invitation makes sense. In the UK, the average household is about £2,500 a year, up from £1,400 in October 2021.
Governor of the TAT Yuthasak Supasorn said high costs of gas and energy will incentivise Westerners to escape the cold and come to Thailand…
"Save your money, lock your home and come to Thailand. Pay for a pool villa in Phuket instead of paying the energy bills."
Yuthasak calls escaping harsh winters by coming to Thailand "revenge travelling"…
"We hope that, with revenge travelling, there will be a shift to revenge spending. They buy everything."
The TAT knows that tourism is nowhere near returning to pre-Covid levels, so they are depending on increasing how much each tourist is spending to boost tourism revenue.
American tourists are expected to be spending more money in Thailand this winter as the Thai baht depreciated to 38 against the dollar for the first time in 16 years.
Tourists escaping chilly Western winters can keep warm for longer than usual this 'High Season' as Thailand is now granting longer stays to tourists with extended 'Visa on Arrival' and longer 'Visa Exemption on Arrival.'
Between October 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023, foreigners arriving in Thailand are eligible to stay for 30 or 45 days…
Visa on Arrival stays will be extended from 15 days to 30 days. Passport holders from 19 countries are eligible for Visa on Arrival.
Visa Exemption stays for passport holders from 64 countries which have bilateral agreements with Thailand will be extended from 30 days to 45 days.
Before the pandemic, in 2019, Thailand welcomed almost 40 million tourists, generating US$62 billion in revenue.
As of October 9, Thailand has so far welcomed 6.48 million tourists this year. The TAT expects 10 million arrivals by the end of 2022 – just one-third of pre-Covid numbers.
The TAT has higher hopes for 2023, expecting 20 million tourists to arrive in Thailand. Despite 20 million being only half of pre-pandemic tourist numbers, the TAT thinks tourism revenue next year will reach 80% of pre-Covid levels with tourists spending more, or "revenge spending."
The recovery speed of Thailand's tourism industry also depends on the reopening of China's borders, as the Chinese used to be the biggest source of tourism revenue in Thailand.
Another day of shame for the Buddhist faith after a drunken monk was arrested for causing chaos in the central province of Kamphaeng Phet. The monk went on the rampage smashing cars in the community with a beer can in one hand and an axe in the other.
The arrested monk, 49 year old Prayoon, defended his actions by claiming the beer helped lower the high cholesterol in his blood system and improve his diabetes and hypertension. It is unsure how the alcohol helped the damaged cars.
Locals reported the drunken monk causing carnage, on Phahonyothin Road in the Mueng district of Kamphaeng Phet, to the deputy district chief.
They were worried the monk would hurt himself and cause problems for pedestrians and drivers on the road.
A video posted by Thai news agencies shows the monk dressed in a traditional robe behaving inappropriately, staggering down the roadside. He is seen opening a can of beer and drinking it while waving an axe in the air with his other hand.
According to a report by One 31, the monk was also a nuisance in nearby restaurants and shops along the road. People also said that the monk tried to hurt himself by beating his chest and body. He was also seen smashing up parked cars.
The monk was reported to have mental health problems but he did not have any documentation to confirm this.
Prayoon informed officers that he drank beer because alcohol can help reduce fat in his body. He added that he had high cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension, and drinking beer could help improve all of these illnesses.
Prayoon was not charged or prosecuted. He was sent back to his temple where his fellow monks said they would later help send him to the hospital to be treated for his illnesses.
This incident is only one in a number of shameful deeds this year involving monks.
Time to invest in a woolly sweater or two as Bangkok is transitioning into 'winter.' By the end of the month, the temperature in the capital could hit lows of 15 degrees Celsius, according to the Meteorological Department.
Yesterday, a chill was felt in the capital for the first time in a long time, reaching lows of 22 degrees Celsius. The department expects the temperature to continually drop over the next 10 days, before Thailandofficially enters 'winter,' or 'cold season,' on the last Sunday of October.
The department expects winter in Thailand to last longer than usual this year. It will be "cold" until mid-February 2023. January will be the coldest month, which is a nice time to travel to northern Thailand, suggests the department.
"Looking at last year's winter statistics, there was a period of 10 days when the temperature continually dropped. This year, the same thing is expected to happen in Bangkok over more than 10 days.
"The temperature in some areas will hit lows of 17 degrees Celsius and as low as 15 degrees Celsius in some areas.
"So this year, people in Bangkok should prepare to wear two layers of winter clothes to keep warm. We have not had such a cold winter in many years."
In northern and northeast Thailand, high-altitude areas such as mountain tops will experience very cold weather. Many areas will experience frost in the mornings and strong winds, said the department.
Without downpours of rain clearing away the dust, the problem of PM2.5 pollution in Bangkok will worsen in winter. You can prevent health problems caused by PM2.5 pollution by wearing an N95 mask and by purchasing an air purifier for your home.
Thailand's winter is synonymous with Thailand's tourist 'High Season.' Tourists prefer less rain and warm, but not sweltering, temperatures.
Many Russian draft escapees are working abroad as digital nomads under the radar.
After a seven months hiatus, Aeroflot flights from Moscow to both Phuket and Bangkok are scheduled to begin at the end of the month. This was confirmed by Vladimir Sosnov, the Russian consul general in Phuket, and by CNN correspondents who say that tickets are indeed on sale in the Russian capital. There have been no direct flights since March 2022, largely because aero spare parts have been hard to obtain since the imposition of western sanctions.
To date, about 90,000 Russians, mostly bona fide tourists or expats, have entered Thailand since the Ukraine war began last February. This largely reflects travel difficulties as air passengers must generally go first to countries – Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are examples – which offer visa-free entry to Russians and onward flights to Bangkok. In 2019, prior to the Covid pandemic, almost one million Russians entered Thailand in a similar seven months period.
Psychological pressures and loneliness can be a big problem for many leaving Russia in a hurry.
Draft escapee Vadim is a 26 year old Russian, currently residing in Pattaya, who says he fled Moscow via Turkey to avoid the compulsory call-up to the Russian military. He says that he expects more men, hoping to escape the draft, to arrive in Thailand once flights resume. "They are likely to be questioned by the police in Russia prior to departure and they won't carry too much luggage to avoid suspicion." But he expected many to get through. "Actually, Putin prefers people opposed to him to be out of the country."
His colleague Alexei, 28, said Thailand had its merits and disadvantages as a bolt hole for draft deniers. "Russians don't need a visa to come here for 30 days and extensions are easy to obtain. On the other hand, the work permit rules here are very strict." He said he had been a waiter in both Kazakhistan and Turkey, but that was impossible in Thailand. Alexei complained that he had met some official hostility even in Pattaya. "Bank accounts are very hard to open here and I was told by an official to forget the idea unless I could produce a 12 months' rental contract. That kind of discrimination doesn't seem to apply to other nationalities."
Aeroflot is beginning a new schedule of Thai flights at the end of October 2022.
Russian journalist Ekaterina Kogutov said the biggest problem for most escapees was how to support themselves abroad. "Some countries have given them refugee status, but others have banned them or made clear there is no state support." Thai authorities do not provide financial help. Ekaterina explained that many men who had fled here worked remotely as digital nomads beneath the radar. Others were self-sufficient for now or received financial support from their families in Russia.
Of course, most Russian draft escapees have transferred by land to those neighboring countries willing to admit them. Those fleeing abroad by air are likely to be the more affluent or well-connected and hundreds are known to have flown out by private jets. But now that Thailand is becoming more accessible by air, and with a history of welcoming one and a half million Russians in 2019, the arrival of more draft escapees is inevitable. A policy statement from the Thai government is clearly overdue.
The majority of international tourists in Pattaya at the moment are from Asia, mostly India while several hotel operators have made adjustments to their room and food offerings to accommodate the needs of these guests, who mainly stay in central and southern Pattaya areas and the city expects to see more tourists from Europe in November.
This 4-day long weekend gives an opportunity for Thai people to visit tourist attractions, with destinations around the country seeing large crowds of visitors.
The site of Doi Tung Development Project, one of the most famous attractions in the northern province of Chiang Rai, is seeing the return of visitors coming to admire several species of plants and flowers. Cooler air that reaches as low as 18C in the morning gives a refreshing change. Most visitors here come in large groups. A family from Surat Thani said they are impressed with the view, the beauty of the site, and the weather.
In the eastern region, the seaside city of Pattaya has seen an increase in hotel reservations. There are both Thai and international guests. Many hotels have introduced special offers for families looking to go on holiday during the school break.
The majority of international tourists in Pattaya at the moment are from Asia, mostly India. Several hotel operators have made adjustments to their room and food offerings to accommodate the needs of these guests, who mainly stay in central and southern Pattaya areas. The city expects to see more tourists from Europe in November.
In Phuket, shops selling tie-dye clothes in the old town are crowded with customers, leading to higher sales revenue. Customers, most of whom are from India and the Middle East, come to purchase these clothes to wear at the beach. (NNT)
The site of Doi Tung Development Project, one of the most famous attractions in the northern province of Chiang Rai, is seeing the return of visitors coming to admire several species of plants and flowers while cooler air that reaches as low as 18C in the morning gives a refreshing change.
Three new Covid-19 subvariants have been found within Thailand's borders according to Thai scientists. The global scientific community believes that the subvariants in the group found in the kingdom will become the dominant strains of Covid within the next few months. A separate strain, XBB, was found in three passengers from Thailand in Hong Kong, despite the variant not being identified in the kingdom yet.
The BF.7, BN.1, and BA.2.75.2 subvariants were found through genomic surveillance in studies conducted by Ramathibodi Hospital's Centre for Medical Genomics. They were found in samples that were gathered from people within Thailand, though not in big numbers according to the National News Bureau of Thailand.
There was only one case of the BN.1 subvariant found, two people infected with the BF.7 subvariant, and three infections of the B.2.75.2 strain. The three strains are all related as part of a subvariant group of the Omicron variant that swept the world previously. These are newer strains from a group that also includes the BQ.1.1, BA.2.3.30, and XBB subvariants, the last of which was recently found in Hong Kong in travellers from Thailand.
The Department of Disease Control is pursuing information through International Health Regulations about those travellers. Few details have been released about the three passengers, including if they were Thai natives or foreigners and if they were originating in Thailand or just passing through in transit.
Hong Kong has found 29 XBB infections so far, with 24 of them caught upon entry at the international airport. The remaining five were identified within 2 days of their arrival into the special administrative region. The majority of those infected were from Singapore where Covid infections have nearly quadrupled in the past week and are predicted to rise to double or triple again in the near future.
The XBB strain found in those Thai passengers has not yet been uncovered within Thailand's borders, and authorities are stepping up efforts to detect it. Health officials have ordered samples be taken from travellers from Hong Kong, Singapore, and other XBB-infected nations. And Thai PBS World reported that international airports are increasing general monitoring.
These new subvariants have between 200 and 2,000 infections in the GISAID database that tracks the pandemic worldwide, but scientists believe they will surpass the BA.5 subvariant as the dominant strain soon. They worry most about the ultra-resistant BA.5.2.1.7 and BF.7 strains. Those subvariants have been proliferating in Asia, Europe, and North America and are worrisome because they evade antibody treatments, vaccines, and previous infections.
