Plans to open Thailand further to tourism - 40,000 foreign returnees have arrived since July
A foreign ministry spokesman has announced figures for the number of Thais and foreigners who have returned to Thailand since the pandemic broke out.
And now the foreign minister himself is indicating that westerners may be allowed to charter planes and quarantine at resorts in tourist areas. Whether this marks a shift in current arrangements remains unclear as CCSA (Covid-19 committee) approval remains a hurdle.
But both Thai Rath and Daily News intimated that Thailand was about to open more widely to a broader spectrum of foreigners, not just mostly Chinese travellers on special tourist visas.
FM spokesman Thanee Saengrat said that from July 9th to 24th November the ministry had issued Certificates of Entry (CoE) to 40,401 foreigners.
Of these the most were Chinese at 7,116 followed by 5472 Japanese, 3279 Americans, 2640 British and 2169 South Koreans.
He said that the three most prevalent categories for these were 1) Work permit holders or those with a right to work and those married or with children 2) spouses or children of Thais and 3) School or college students and their parents.
Regarding Thai returnees Thanee said that in the period June 4th to 25th November 128,103 Thais had been assisted by the FM in returning home. Of these 97,396 had returned by air, 28,700 by land and 2,007 by sea. This process was continuing as was the repatriation of foreigners.
In December 6,951 Thais were due to return (data from November 16th).
The top ten countries from which Thais had returned were as follows: 1. Malaysia, US, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, UK, Sweden, Germany, Australia and India.
Thai Rath reported that 711 foreigners had arrived on the STV, special tourist visa that permits long stay that can be extended up to 270 days.
Both media reported that Thai foreign minister Don Pramudwinai was in favor of opening the country further to all foreign tourists.
The suggestion was that westerners would be allowed to charter planes to fly in and quarantine in tourist areas.
This would be subject to CCSA approval, said the spokesman on behalf of the minister.
How this would differ from current arrangements was not clearly articulated, notes Thaivisa.
Gjorde ett besök på försäljningskontorens idag.
En ung dam satt där med sin uttråkade dotter och väntade på spekulanter till husen.
Ni ser och förstår - hoppas jag - det mesta på de scannade bilder jag bifogar men jag kan tillägga detta.
Man kommer in i ett litet "allrum" som längst bort övergår i ett LITET köksutrymme.
På nb finns sedan en toalett och ett sovrum.
En trappa upp 3 sovrum och 2 toaletter.
2 parkeringsplatser till varje hus.
Samtliga hus ser i stort sett lika ut men tillhörande " uteområde " varierar.
Spontan kommentar:
Det verkar vara "sova" som man har fokuserat på här. Det lilla allrummet på
nedre botten inbjuder ju inte till större aktiviteter.
Bangkok ranks 30th in overall Expat city ranking by Interlife, worst in quality of Urban Environment, top five in finance and housing
Bangkok, Thailand:
The Expat City Ranking is based on the annual Expat Insider survey by InterNations, the largest expat community in the world with four million members. For the survey, more than 15,000 expatriates representing 173 nationalities and living in 181 countries or territories provided information on various aspects of expat life. In addition to their satisfaction with life in their host country, respondents were also invited to share their opinions on the city they are currently living in. The information below is their own as is their press release.
Out of 66 cities in the Expat City Ranking 2020, Singapore ranks 5th, followed by Kuala Lumpur (8th), Ho Chi Minh City (19th), Shanghai (21st), Bangkok (30th), Tokyo (53rd), Beijing (55th), Hong Kong (57th), and Seoul (64th).
Valencia (1st), Alicante, Lisbon, Panama City, Singapore, Málaga, Buenos Aires, Kuala Lumpur, Madrid, and Abu Dhabi (10th) are the top 10 cities for expats to live in 2020.
On the other hand, expats consider Salmiya in Kuwait (66th), Rome, Seoul, Milan, Nairobi, Paris, Johannesburg, Santiago, Dublin, and Hong Kong (57th) the world's worst cities to live in.
Munich, 26 November 2020 — Nine Asian cities, with two in the top 10 and two in the bottom 10, make it in the Expat City Ranking 2020 by InterNations, the world's largest expat community with around 4 million members. Singapore (5th) and Kuala Lumpur (8th) are both in the top 10, followed by Ho Chi Minh City (19th), Shanghai (21st), Bangkok (30th), Tokyo (53rd), Beijing (55th), and lastly Hong Kong (57th) and Seoul (64th) coming in the bottom 10. Singapore is the best city in the region, ranking well for all indices aside from the local cost of living. Expats living in Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bangkok are also very satisfied with their finances and housing, while Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Seoul rank high for the quality of urban living.
The Expat City Ranking is based on the annual Expat Insider survey by InterNations, which is one of the most extensive surveys about living and working abroad, with more than 15,000 respondents in 2020. This year, 66 cities around the globe are analyzed in the survey, which offers in-depth information about five areas of expat life: Quality of Urban Living, Getting Settled, Urban Work Life, Finance & Housing, and Local Cost of Living. Together, the first four topics make up the Expat City Ranking, which reveals the best and worst cities for expats to live in. As the data was collected in March 2020, just before COVID-19 turned into a global pandemic, one question, however, remains: Will these cities still come out on top in a post-COVID world?
Singapore Is the Second-Safest City Worldwide
Singapore (5th out of 66 in the general ranking) scores high in nearly all areas of the Expat City Ranking 2020. It performs best in the Quality of Urban Living Index (9th), which is largely due to its excellent results in the Safety & Politics subcategory (2nd). A British expat living in Singapore describes it as "an amazing place to live and extremely safe". In fact, nearly all expats in Singapore rate the political stability positively (90% vs. 61% globally) and feel personally safe there (97% vs. 82% globally). For personal safety, Singapore even ranks 2nd worldwide, only beaten by Tokyo (1st).
Another area Singapore performs well in is the Finance & Housing Index (15th), with 63% of survey respondents saying that their disposable household income is more than enough to cover their expenses (vs. 51% globally). The city-state receives great results for this factor despite the fact that the cost of living seems to be very high, with Singapore coming in 50th place in this index. Nearly three in five expats (58%) rate the cost of living in Singapore negatively, compared to the global average of 36%. An expat from India says: "Living here is expensive, and as they say: 'Everything comes with a price tag!'" This is also true when it comes to housing: while 80% say it is easy to find housing as an expat (vs. 55% globally), more than one-fifth (21%) say it is unaffordable (vs. 41% globally).
Lastly, it seems to be easy to get settled in Singapore as an expat — it ranks 16th in the Getting Settled Index. Expats are particularly happy with the ease of making new friends (58% happy vs. 47% globally),and they find it easy to get used to the local culture (70% happy vs. 61% globally). Maybe this is why 76% also feel at home in Singapore (vs. 64% globally).
Kuala Lumpur: Easy to Settle Down in on a Reasonable Budget
Ranking 8th, Kuala Lumpur comes in the top 10 of the Expat City Ranking for the fourth year in a row. The city does particularly well in the Finance & Housing Index (1st). Exactly seven in ten expats in Kuala Lumpur (70%) say that housing is affordable (vs. 41% globally), and over four in five (84%) also say it is easy to find (vs. 55% globally). Moreover, more than three in four survey respondents are happy with their financial situation (76% vs. 61% globally) and the local cost of living (77% vs. 46% globally). A Swedish expat who lives in Kuala Lumpur agrees: "It is easy and affordable to live here."
Kuala Lumpur also performs well in the Getting Settled Index (7th). A Singaporean expat living in Kuala Lumpur shares: "Moving to Malaysia as a foreigner has been easy, and so has settling down here." This can be largely attributed to the ease of living in the city without speaking the local language and the ease of making new friends. More than nine in ten expats (91%) say it is easy to live in Kuala Lumpur without speaking the local language, which is 37 percentage points above the global average (54%). What is more, the city ranks 8th in the Friends & Socializing subcategory, with 72% of expats being happy with their social life (vs. 59% globally) and 60% finding it easy to make new friends (vs. 47% globally).
On the other hand, Kuala Lumpur narrowly escapes landing among the bottom 10 in the Quality of Urban Living Index, where it ranks 51st out of 66 cities. It does particularly poorly in the Safety & Politics subcategory, with just 68% of expats rating their personal safety positively (vs. 82% globally). Additionally, fewer than three in eight survey respondents (36%) are satisfied with the political stability (vs. 61% globally).
Ho Chi Minh City: Affordable Life but Poor Infrastructure
Coming in 19th place in the Expat City Ranking 2020, Ho Chi Minh City performs generally well. It ranks particularly high in the Cost of Living Index (4th) and the Finance & Housing Index (5th): Nearly three out of four expats (74%) rate the cost of living in Ho Chi Minh City positively, which is 28 percentage points above the global average (46%). "Even though the overall cost of living has increased, it is still affordable," shares an expat from Australia. In fact, about two-thirds (67%) say their disposable household income is more than what they need to cover expenses (vs. 51% globally). What is more, housing is not only affordable (63% vs. 41% globally) but easy to find as well (88% vs. 55% globally).Expats are also very satisfied with their jobs in general (6th); they seem particularly happy with the state of the local economy (81% vs. 63% globally) and their work-life balance (72% vs. 64% globally). Lastly, the friendly locals make life in Ho Chi Minh City a highlight, with 79% of expats rating their attitude towards foreign residents as generally friendly (vs. 66% globally). Maybe this is why 60% are also happy with the ease of making new friends there (vs. 47% globally).
On the downside, Ho Chi Minh City performs poorly in the Quality of Urban Living Index (55th). The Vietnamese city ranks among the bottom 10 worldwide in the Transportation subcategory (60th), as fewer than one in four expats (24%) rate its public transportation infrastructure positively (vs. 66% globally). The city also receives poor results in the Health & Environment subcategory (59th). Only 27% of expats are happy with Ho Chi Minh City's urban environment (vs. 65% globally). An expat from the USA shares: "Ho Chi Minh City is noisy and polluted, there are minimal green spaces, and some areas are very dirty." Another Swiss expat also comments on the state of the environment, saying that "there is massive plastic pollution all over the country, especially along the shoreline — it is a devastating sight".
Expats in Shanghai Are Happy with Their Finances and Working Life
Coming in 21st place out of 66 cities overall, Shanghai ranks above the global average in the Expat City Ranking. The city receives its best results in the Finance & Housing Index and the Urban Work Life Index (both 22nd). Job security seems to be particularly high: Shanghai ranks 12th out of 66 in the respective subcategory, with nearly three in four expats (73%) satisfied with their job security (vs. 59% globally). Another 72% of survey respondents are happy with the local career opportunities (vs. 43% globally). An expat from the UK shares that "there are many work opportunities, particularly for English natives or for people who speak both English and Chinese". In terms of finance and housing, Shanghai lands in the global top 10 of the Finance subcategory (7th). It even comes in first place for disposable household income: 71% of expats feel their income is more than enough to cover their living expenses (vs. 51% globally). Housing, on the other hand, seems to be more of an issue: only 17% of expats are happy with the affordability of housing (vs. 41% globally).
While Shanghai also does well in the Quality of Urban Living Index (23rd) – particularly for its public transportation system (3rd) and personal safety (4th) – the city comes 37th in the Getting Settled Index. One of the reasons: While 64% of expats state that it is easy to live in Shanghai without speaking the local language (vs. 54% globally), 72% of expats think it is difficult to learn it (vs. 46% globally). "Learning the language is difficult, and I find it frustrating when I cannot communicate," explains a British expat. Additionally, it seems to be challenging for expats in Shanghai to be immersed in the local way of life, as 29% find it difficult to get used to the local culture (vs. 21% globally).
Bangkok Has the Worst Urban Environment according to Expats
Overall, Bangkok performs slightly above average in the Expat City Ranking 2020, coming in 30th place out of 66 cities. The Thai capital ranks among the top 5 of the Finance & Housing Index (4th). Over two in three expats (67%) feel their disposable household income is more than enough to pay for everything they need (vs. 51% globally). A US American expat appreciates that expat life in Bangkok is "less stressful than living in the USA, with about one-third fewer costs for a good quality of life". Additionally, three in five survey respondents (60%) are satisfied with the affordability of housing in Bangkok (vs. 41% globally), and the majority (88%) finds housing easy to find as well (vs. 55% globally).
On the downside, Bangkok ranks rather low in the Quality of Urban Living Index (53rd). It even comes last worldwide for its urban environment (66th), with 64% of expats unhappy with this factor (vs. 21% globally). An expat from Germany says, "there is awful air pollution in Bangkok and a lack of green spaces". Expats are also unhappy with the political stability — just 26% rate this factor positively (vs. 61% globally). The Urban Work Life Index (50th) does not a look a lot better: expats are dissatisfied with their local career opportunities (49% unhappy vs. 34% globally) and the state of the local economy (33% unhappy vs. 18% globally). This is outweighed by slightly above-average results in the Getting Settled Index (28th), with 75% of expats saying that the local residents are friendly (vs. 68% globally). Another 72% are happy with their social life in Bangkok (vs. 59% globally).
Coming in 53rd place out of 66 destinations worldwide, Tokyo narrowly avoids landing among the bottom 10 cities featured in the Expat City Ranking 2020. However, the Japanese capital ranks 10th in the Quality of Urban Living Index. It scores particularly high in the Transportation subcategory (5th) and for the factor personal safety (1st). Nearly all expats (99%) feel safe in Tokyo (vs. 82% globally), and 93% are happy with its public transportation infrastructure (vs. 66% globally). An Armenian expat shares that "it is very easy to travel and the public transportation is very convenient".
However, Tokyo ranks below average in all other indices and even lands among the bottom 10 in the Getting Settled Index (62nd). In fact, 25% of expats say they do not feel at home there (vs. 21% globally), and 34% find it difficult to get used to the local culture (vs. 21% globally). Tokyo ranks 59th in both the Feeling Welcome and Friends & Socializing subcategories, with half of the survey respondents (50%) finding it difficult to make friends in Tokyo (vs. 33% globally). An expat from Thailand says that "while the people are polite, it is difficult to find friends — particularly among the local residents." The language barrier seems to make it hard since just 34% of expats find it easy to live in Tokyo without speaking the local language (vs. 54% globally). An expat from Australia shares: "I am not able to communicate well with the locals and therefore not able to have a social life." Tokyo is one of the worst cities worldwide in the Local Language subcategory (64th), with only Beijing (66th) and Budapest (65th) performing worse. Lastly, Tokyo also ranks second-to-last in the Work-Life Balance subcategory, only ahead of Seoul: 36% of expats are unhappy with their work-life balance (vs. 18% globally), and 31% rate their working hours negatively (vs. 17% globally). Since 23% are also unhappy with their jobs in general (vs. 18% globally), Tokyo only ranks 55th in the Urban Work Life Index.
Work-Life Balance and Housing Are Issues for Expats in Beijing
Overall, Beijing performs rather poorly in the Expat City Ranking 2020, coming in 55th place out of 66 cities. The Chinese capital ranks worst in the Getting Settled Index (60th): only 42% of expats feel at home in the local culture (vs. 61% globally), and 39% find it difficult to live in Beijing without speaking the local language (vs. 30% globally). A German expat points out that it is "difficult to learn the language, find local friends, and get accustomed to the culture". When it comes to the Urban Work Life Index (44th), expats are particularly unhappy with their work-life balance (25% negative ratings vs. 18% globally). Maybe this is one reason why just 57% of expats are generally satisfied with their jobs (vs. 65% globally).
Beijing does somewhat better in the finance-related indices, coming 37th in the Local Cost of Living Index and 43rd in the Finance & Housing Index. Just about two in five expats (42%) say it is easy to find housing in Beijing, compared to 55% globally. What is more, 66% of expats also consider the available housing less than affordable (vs. 41% globally). "The rent and housing prices are ridiculously expensive," says an expat from Romania. In general, expat life in Beijing seems to come at a price — just 39% are happy with the cost of living, compared to 46% globally.
Hong Kong Is the Worst City in the World for the Cost of Living and Political Stability Ranking 57th out of 66 cities in total, Hong Kong lands in the bottom 10 of the Expat City Ranking 2020.It is even voted the worst city in the world for the local cost of living, with an expat from Denmark explaining: "There are extremely high costs of living, for example, for schooling and groceries." In fact,80% of expats in Hong Kong are unhappy with the local cost of living, compared to just 36% of survey respondents worldwide. This result is also reflected in the Finance & Housing Index (45th), where Hong Kong ranks second-to-last worldwide for the affordability of housing (65th). Only Dublin (66th) is rated worse. More than nine in ten expats (94%) find housing in Hong Kong unaffordable (vs. 41% globally). The Urban Work Life Index (59th) is another sore point, particularly when it comes to the Work-Life Balance subcategory (61st): more than one in three expats in Hong Kong (34%) are unhappy with their working hours, which is twice the global average (17%). Moreover, 43% are dissatisfied with the state of the local economy (vs. 18% globally).
While Hong Kong has an average performance in the Quality of Urban Living Index (45th) in general, safety and security seem to be a real concern: The city is rated worst in the world for political stability, with 69% of expats being worried about this factor (vs. 17% globally). The city performs best in the Getting Settled Index (40th), though still below average. It comes in 26th place in the Friends & Socializing subcategory: almost half the expats (49%) say it is easy to find new friends (vs. 47% globally),and 63% are happy with their social life in Hong Kong (vs. 59% globally). Lastly, the Local Language subcategory (37th) is very polarized: 80% of expats find it difficult to learn the local language (vs. 46% globally), but 82% also say that it is easy to live in Hong Kong without speaking it (vs. 54% globally).
Both Work and Private Life Are Tough for Expats in Seoul
Ranking 64th out of 66 cities in the Expat City Ranking 2020, Seoul lands among the bottom 3 worldwide, only ahead of Rome and Salmiya (Kuwait). Seoul performs worst in the Getting Settled Index (64th). Almost half the expats (47%) say it is difficult to find new friends in Seoul (vs. 33% globally), and only 40% feel at home in the local culture (vs. 61% globally.) An expat from Germany says: "Korea does not seem ready to embrace the idea of 'foreigners' ever really becoming 'Koreans'." Work life does not look much better, with Seoul ranking 61st in the Urban Work Life Index: More than half the survey respondents (54%) rate their local career opportunities negatively (vs. 34% globally). Additionally, 37% are dissatisfied with their work-life balance (vs. 18% global average), and 38% rate their working hours negatively (vs. 17% globally). Seoul ranks last worldwide in the Work-Life Balance subcategory.
Seoul does just a little better in the Finance & Housing (51st) and Local Cost of Living (45th) Indices.
Only 19% of expats rate the local cost of living positively (vs. 46% globally), and over a third (35%) are dissatisfied with their financial situation (vs. 21% globally).
On the bright side, Seoul performs best in the Quality of Urban Living Index (21st). The availability of healthcare (7th) and the public transportation system (9th) are particularly good. An expat from the Philippines says that they appreciate "the high standard of technology, good facilities in hospitals, as well as the transportation". The majority of expats (92%) rates the availability of medical care positively (vs. 74% globally). "I like the accessible and affordable healthcare," shares a US American expat. In fact, nearly nine in ten expats (88%) rate South Korea's quality of medical care positively (vs. 69% globally).
About the Expat City Ranking 2020
The Expat City Ranking is based on the annual Expat Insider survey by InterNations. For the survey, more than 15,000 expatriates representing 173 nationalities and living in 181 countries or territories provided information on various aspects of expat life. In addition to their satisfaction with life in their host country, respondents were also invited to share their opinions on the city they are currently living in.
Participants were asked to rate more than 25 different aspects of urban life abroad on a scale of one to seven. The rating process emphasized the respondents' personal satisfaction with these aspects, considering both emotional topics and more factual aspects with equal weight. The respondents' ratings of the individual factors were then bundled in various combinations for a total of 13 subcategories, and their mean values were used to draw up four topical indices: Quality of Urban Living, Getting Settled, Urban Work Life, and Finance & Housing. These were further averaged in order to rank 66 cities worldwide. In 2020, the top 10 cities for expats are Valencia, Alicante, Lisbon, Panama City, Singapore, Málaga, Buenos Aires, Kuala Lumpur, Madrid, and Abu Dhabi. The survey also includes a Local Cost of Living Index, which does, however, not factor into the overall ranking to avoid overrepresenting financial aspects.
For a city to be featured in the Expat City Ranking 2020, a sample size of at least 50 survey participants per city was required.
About InterNations
With around 4 million members in 420 cities around the world, InterNations is the largest global community and a source of information for people who live and work abroad. InterNations offers global and local networking and socializing, both online and face to face. At around 6,000 events and activities per month, expatriates have the opportunity to meet other global minds. Online services include discussion forums and helpful articles with personal expat experiences, tips, and information about life abroad. Membership is by approval only to ensure we remain a community of trust.
InterNations is part of the New Work SE, a group of brands that offer products and services for a better working life.
NVI director Nakorn Premsri, left, joins Disease Control Department director-general Opas Kankawinphong, centre, and AstraZeneca Thailand president James Teak at a signing ceremony at Government House on Friday. (Government House photo)
Thailand officially signed an agreement on Friday with AstraZeneca securing the kingdom's access to the company's Covid-19 vaccine and authorising the right for a local manufacturer to produce it.
Opas Kankawinphong, the director-general of the Disease Control Department, and Nakorn Premsri, director of the National Vaccine Institute, signed the deal with James Teak, president of AstraZeneca Thailand, at Government House.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha presided over the signing ceremony.
The contract is worth 6 billion baht.
ACM Sathitphong Sukwimol, the company chairman of Siam Bioscience, a local pharmaceutical company, also attended the event.
Siam Bioscience plans to produce AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine at its manufacturing plant in Pathum Thani province.
The number of doses to be supplied to Thailand was not disclosed on Friday.
However, Gen Prayut reportedly said on Thursday that the contract was for the purchase of 26 million doses, enough for 13 million people, as each person needs two shots.
The government had approved a budget of 6 billion baht to secure a Covid-19 vaccine and produce more with Siam Bioscience.
In addition to supplying the vaccine to Thailand, AstraZeneca will also support the local mass production of the doses by Siam Bioscience.
Countries are reportedly rushing to secure access to Covid-19 jabs after news of progress in various vaccine projects.
AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical company, also signed a deal with the Philippines for 2.6 million shots of its vaccine.
Malaysia, meanwhile, announced an agreement with Pfizer Inc to obtain enough of its jab to vaccinate 6.4 million people.
Gen Prayut expects vaccination will start sometime next year and the government will be ready to give all people access to it, government spokesman Anucha Buranachaisri said.
The government has prepared a research and development fund for Thailand to produce the AstraZeneca/Oxford formula locally.
Siam Bioscience reportedly hopes to supply Asean with the vaccine.
AstraZeneca is currently in the last stage of vaccine trials before seeking final regulatory approvals for broad distribution of the long-awaited vaccine against Covid-19.
Thailand has recorded 3,961 confirmed infections, including 60 deaths.
MAJORITY of Thais do NOT want return of foreigners
Tourists in Thailand
A majority of Thais do not agree with a government plan to reopen Thailand's borders to foreign tourists, a survey showed, as the nation prepared to receive its first group of visitors in almost seven months.
About 57 per cent of respondents were concerned that the reopening would increase the risks of coronavirus infections and disagreed with the plan, according to the poll conducted by the Bangkok-based National Institute of Development Administration.
The survey of about 1,300 people also found that 62 per cent were not confident that the government can avoid a re-emergence of Covid-19 once the country reopens to holidaymakers.
Last month, the tourism-reliant nation unveiled plans to admit a limited number of foreign tourists each month to provide some relief to the tourism industry, which is struggling to survive without international visitors.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's government is seeking a balance between rescuing its tourism sector, which derives two-thirds of its revenue from foreign visitors, and maintaining its good track record of managing the virus.
Thailand's reopening plan has faced several delays, partly due to the concerns of some local groups.
But the government has pushed ahead with the plan to receive visitors with a 14-day mandatory quarantine, although tourism businesses said the requirement would exclude most travellers hoping to visit the country.
Even the supporters of a government plan to issue long-term visas to foreigners said there must be effective measures in place to prevent spread of the virus.
The random survey was conducted last Thursday and Friday, and has a confidence level of 97 per cent, the institute said. – Bloomberg
Thailand MUST re-open without quarantine, says media
Tourism accounted for 18 percent of Thailand's gross domestic product and Chinese holidaymakers made up more than a quarter of total arrivals
Thailand's business media has called for the country to re-open its borders to foreign tourists from low risk countries, without quarantine.
In an opinion piece from Bangkok Biz News it was clear they are referring specifically to the Chinese.
The media outlined the desperate state of the Thai economy with some estimates putting GDP for the year down as low as 10% and the Economist ranks Thailand as among the 12 most damaged economies.
One of the most important ways to re-start the cash-flow is to encourage the foreign tourists back, said BBN.
And the easiest way to do this is by turning to China where travel is now permitted internally and where the virus is claimed to be under control.
Business media estimates there are enough Chinese tourists ready to travel to rescue the Thailand economy whilst waiting for other foreign tourists, such as locked-down westerners, to return.
The proposal includes ending quarantine for the Chinese and instead applying pre-flight checks and health tests on arrival in Thailand. Another test should be carried out a week later.
They claim this would be acceptable to those people in Thailand still terrified about the spread of Covid, they said.
Thailand has had only 1,201 tourists during October, which is down from 3 million in October 2019
Kamala Beach - Still empty
Thailand recorded its first 1,201 foreign tourists in October since a ban in April aimed at averting coronavirus outbreaks, as the country gradually opens up to a select number of visitors to help its struggling, tourism-reliant economy.
Southeast Asia's second-largest economy contracted 6.4% in the third quarter from a year earlier after the second quarter's 12.1% slump as most virus restrictions were eased, but an absence of tourists is limiting the recovery.
The 1,201 foreign visitors in October is a fraction of the 3.07 million arrivals in the same month last year.
Tourism ministry data showed the latest visitors included 471 from China, 231 from neighbouring Cambodia, 178 from Middle East countries and 116 from Europe, all travelling on special 90-day visas that require two weeks of quarantine.
Thailand's entry restrictions have helped keep its coronavirus case tally to less than 4,000.
It plans to restart talks with China on a travel bubble to boost an economy the government predicts will shrink by 6% this year.
But the country has yet to agree any such arrangements and previous plans were abandoned in August after coronavirus cases in Asia increased.
New outbreaks have seen several other travel bubbles between Asia-Pacific countries aborted or fail to take off, including between New Zealand and Australia, and Hong Kong and Singapore.
In January-October 2020, the number of foreign tourists in Thailand dropped 79.5% to 6.69 million – there were zero tourists recorded in April-September.
The state planning agency has forecast 6.7 million foreign tourists this year after last year's revised record 39.9 million visitors who spent 1.91 trillion baht ($63 billion), or about 11.3% of gross domestic product (GDP).
Former director general of the World Trade Organisation, Supachai Panitchpakdi. File photo.
By The Nation
Former director general of the World Trade Organisation, Supachai Panitchpakdi, has urged the Thai government not to rush to open the country to foreign tourists amid the ongoing threat from Covid-19.
He pointed out that Western countries are loosening and re-imposing lockdowns in a cycle that is resulting in a large number of infections and deaths, as well as severely hurting economies.
He warned of the long-term impact of Thailand lifting its restrictions on foreign travellers.
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"Thailand should gradually open the country, because human resources are the most important factor. It takes about 20 to 30 years for human development, and if those people die it will be very difficult to restore the lost human resources," he said.
Saving lives is the best way to aid economic recovery post-Covid-19, said Supachai, who is also a former secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The government has opened the country to a limited number of foreign tourists, in a bid to help tourism recover from the devastating impact of the virus.
Supachai noted the economy is expected to contract 5 to 6 per cent this year, up from the previous forecast of 7-8 per cent contraction.
He expressed optimism that Thai economic growth and exports would return to positive territory next year. Faster recovery of China and Asean countries would benefit Thai exports, he predicted.
However, he warned exporters not to rely on a weaker baht. Baht appreciation could dampen exports, so exporters should reorganise their businesses to increase their competitive advantage, he suggested.
Meanwhile he urged the central bank to raise the interest rate since its low level of 0.5 per cent was hitting savers' income.
Rising household debt was also a worry, he said. Thais are getting into debt at a younger age, in contrast to people in other countries who don't get indebted until much older, he added.
Thai Prime Minister delivers speech on "State of Covid-19" in Thailand and the future plan for the country to recover tourism
Bangkok, Thailand-
The following is a speech given by the Thai Prime Minister today, November 26th, 2020 in Bangkok regarding Covid-19, the current situation around the world, in Thailand, vaccines and the "roadmap" to re-open to tourism in general and recover the economy.
The speech is a press release from the Thai Government and was written by them:
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Today, I wanted to update you on our country's direction in terms of living with the global pandemic that has devastated families and the economies of countries around the world.
The world is now in its worst resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hundreds of people are dying every day in countries in Europe and elsewhere, and even more in the USA, and there are protests and riots in almost 30 countries.
The WHO has recently warned that there could even be a third wave coming next year if countries are not disciplined in their approach to handling the crisis.
• England is now in a national lockdown. Shops, restaurants, pubs, bars, entertainment facilities, sports facilities, other public facilities and most workplaces are closed. And just yesterday, it was just announced that the UK's economy will contract by around 11%.
• France closed for a national lockdown on 30th October, with their GDP forecast to shrink by 11% in 2020.
• Spain declared a state of emergency which may last for months, as well as a nationwide curfew, with travelling and gatherings limited.
• Holland has a lockdown with people only allowed to leave their homes with a signed document.
• Belgium is in lockdown.
• And in Germany, shops and restaurants are closed in a partial lockdown and gatherings restricted.
The health situation, as well as its impact on the economies of countries, is getting even more serious around the world.
The danger of this virus is not just in the people it kills directly. If it gets out of control, it will also kill many other people who are dependent on hospital and medical care. When hospital beds are full of Covid patients, and doctors and nurses are fully occupied with treating Covid patients, people suffering from many other illnesses may not get the treatment that they depend on. It is a nightmare situation when doctors have to decide who to treat and who they simply do not have time to assist. We have avoided that situation and we must continue to be firm to avoid it in the future.
I would like to thank all citizens in every part of the country and in all occupations and businesses who have sacrificed tremendously and tried to manage their very difficult circumstances so that we could protect our nation. Your sacrifices are helping us avoid falling into an even worse situation as we are seeing happen in many other countries.
I would also like to thank the WHO for recognizing Thailand as one of the best examples in the world for its 'whole-of-government, whole-of-society, comprehensive approach' to containing the virus and saying that our good results were not coincidental. I would like everyone in Thailand to take pride in this exceptional recognition and to continue to work together in the spirit of national unity that we have all shown in these difficult times.
Let me now report to you that we are preparing for the next phase in managing the Covid crisis so that it does not do even greater damage to our country's economy and people's livelihoods.
The long-term solution to overcoming the crisis of the Covid pandemic is the availability and use of a vaccine. There are now several vaccine candidates in advanced stages of development and safety testing and certification. We know that many advanced countries have been locking up their place in the queue for a vaccine. Thailand, too, must be able to get sufficient doses of a successful vaccine early.
That is why, a few months ago, I made the decision for Thailand to seek to partner in vaccine production with an eminent vaccine research group as a way of securing a vaccine early.
Last month we signed an agreement with Oxford University and AstraZeneca to produce vaccines in Thailand should their research lead to a successful vaccine. And tomorrow, we will sign a further agreement on the purchase of vaccines.
Just a few days ago, we heard the wonderful news that the Oxford University-AstraZeneca team announced that the vaccine they are developing has been found to have between 70-90% efficacy.
Next to that, this particular type of vaccine is much cheaper to produce in mass quantities than some of the other advanced vaccine candidates. But even more importantly, it will be right for Thai conditions. While other advanced vaccine candidates need to be kept in exceptionally cold temperatures of between minus20C to minus70C, this vaccine can be stored in regular refrigeration temperatures of +2C to +8C, which will make it easy for us to get it to everyone around Thailand rather than only have it available where there are specialized refrigeration facilities.
We expect this vaccine to be properly certified, approved for use and produced by the middle of next year. The sooner we can advance this timetable, the sooner we can open our doors to large numbers of visitors and begin the task of rebuilding our economy. I am now working on trying to find ways in which our processes may be accelerated so that we can get to mass vaccinations in Thailand sooner.
In the meantime, as we enter the holiday season, I ask everyone to keep up their guard and to continue with their discipline in wearing masks, their hand hygiene, and social distancing so that we may continue to work our way through this crisis and avoid the virus spreading in our country and causing even greater economic suffering.
