Most Thai residents and tourism operators want the country to reopen borders to international tourists, as long as a 14 day quarantine still in place, according to the Tourism Council of Thailand survey.
The TCT surveyed 785 operators in tourism-related business and 1,444 Thais from November 11 to December 10. 60% of surveyed locals and 50% of tourism operators agree with the idea to reopen the borders as long as a 14 day quarantine is still required.
Most agree that the mandatory quarantine is still necessary.
This is in complete contrast with all other similar surveys during 2021 in which Thais insisted they wanted foreigners KEPT OUT of the country.
60% of tourism operators say foreign visitors should enter on the Special Tourist Visa and undergo a 14 day quarantine in closed areas with the opportunity to do recreational activities.
Some 53% of operators say Thailand should welcome independent tourists from low risk countries while also requiring them to undergo a mandatory 10 to 14 day quarantine.
When it comes to lifting the quarantine for travellers from low risk countries, half of the tour operators and 39% of locals agree.
The survey also shows a drop in confidence among operators in tourism sectors, although the government announced additional holidays to stimulate travel and spending.
CCSA, chaired by Thai Prime Minister, announces easing of Covid-19 restrictions in all provinces in Thailand, effective in early February
National –
The Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) general meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O'Cha, announced the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in all provinces in Thailand, however, the level of easing is dependent on the severity of the outbreak.
We have summarized the list of announcements below. However, we wanted to make a few things clear in terms of this list as the list is "general".
1. These new orders need to be published in the Royal Gazette to be formal and in effect. This is a formality but technically nothing is official or in effect until this order is released. So although zone statuses are being changed, according to the CCSA (see below) it's not official or in effect until the Royal Gazette order so things like transportation restrictions are technically in effect until then. However, unlikely to be enforced. The likely date of effect for the orders is Monday, February 1st, not today or this weekend. This means everything in the lists below will not take immediate effect.
2. The zone status proposal changes we covered extensively before have not changed at all since the proposal. Yes, inter-provincial travel restrictions will end for zones that had them under highly controlled status. However, some provinces may still have their own quarantines or limited restrictions based on the Governor and provincial government. Again, this is not official until the Royal Gazette order takes place.
3. For orders to be official in each province they will need permission from the Governor and each province's communicable disease committee. Governors have the ability, if they choose, to strengthen rules and make them tougher. So although everything in the list below will be "allowed" by the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration it is not a guarantee that the governor will pass the order on this allowance in every province. All restrictions not listed on the lists below are considered provincial level and not national level and need provincial permission to be allowed to resume/orders.
This information is subject to change and often does change quickly but was correct as of press time.
Samut Sakhon will remain under the highest and strictest disease control. Educational institutions, sports, outdoor facilities, massage shops, arcades, bars, entertainment venues, and internet shops are still closed. Market and field markets are allowed to be operated under compliance with strict social distancing and limited customers.
Department stores and dine-in restaurants can open until 11:00 PM. with no alcoholic beverage sales. Hotels can continue their operations with a strict follow-up on their visitors to check their entry and departure time.
Bangkok and its vicinity are under the highest control with bars, pubs, and nightlife entertainment venues remaining closed. Restaurants are allowed to welcome customers for dine-in under social distancing measure until 11:00 PM. with no alcoholic beverage sales.
Small events and exhibitions at event halls with less than 100 people can also take place with no alcohol and entertainment. All guests must check-in via the "Thai Chana" application prior to the event.
Schools and other educational institutions with less than 120 students can be opened normally. Alternate day class attendance, social distancing, and online learning may still be required in schools with more than 120 students.
Migrant workers who are coming into the provinces must install the "Moh Chana" tracing application. Spas and Thai massage shops can be reopened as well as fitness, gyms, and other sports and outdoor facilities. Sport-related competition can take place indoors with no audience.
10 provinces under the controlled zones, namely Kanchanaburi, Chantaburi, Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Ratchaburi, Lop Buri, Samut Songkram, Sa Kaeo, Saraburi, Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, and Ang Thong, can have their bars, pubs, and nightlife entertainment venues reopened until 11:00 PM. with alcohol and live music (no dancing). Restaurants can also open until 11:00 PM. with booze.
Schools and educational institutions can reopen with normal classes as well as small events with less than 300 people (no dancing) but must comply with social distancing and other health measures.
17 provinces under the maximum surveillance areas, namely Kampangpeth, Chainat, Chaiyaphom, Chumpon, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Narathiwat, Buriram, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phang Nga, Yala, Ranong, Songkhla, Sukothai, Surat Thani, Uthai Thani, can have their bars, pubs, nightlife entertainment venues, and restaurants reopened until midnight with alcohol and live music (no dancing).
Spas, Thai massage shops including massage parlors can be opened with a limited number of customers as well as fitness, gyms, and other sports and outdoor facilities. Gambling dens and animal fighting are still prohibited in all areas.
35 remaining provinces under green-zone surveillance areas are provided with very few restrictions but social distancing, mask-wearing, and other health measures must strictly comply.
All measures mentioned are expected to be implemented next Monday, February 1st.
Bars and pubs in Bangkok to remain closed but it's good news for pub goers in the rest of Thailand
It is bad news for pub goers in Bangkok with Thailand's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Friday that bars and pubs in the capital will remain closed.
However, in most other provinces bars and pubs have been given the green light to open, in some cases without restrictions and in others, with closing required at 11pm.
According to CCSA spokesperson Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, Samut Sakhon will remain under highest level of restrictions (dark red zone). Bangkok will also remain a Maximum Controlled zone (red zone)
And while some businesses can reopen, bars, pubs and other nighttime entertainment venues in Bangkok must remain closed. Restaurants are permitted open but must close by 11pm and no alcohol can be served. Massage parlours, gyms and fitness centres are allowed to re-open with social distancing measures in place.
Image: Video screenshot
The 10 provinces in the Controlled Zone (orange zone), restaurants, bars and pubs can re-open and serve alcohol but only until 11pm. Live music can be played but dancing is not permitted.
For the 17 provinces in the Maximum Surveillance Zone (yellow zone), restaurants, bars and pubs can re-open and serve alcohol until midnight.
For the remaining 35 provinces (green zone) almost all restrictions have been lifted.
The relaxing of all measures is expected to come into effect on 1st Feb, but may differ slightly from province to province.
This is a developing story, this post will be updated without notice.
Celebrities are facing more pressure to be transparent and announce their full timelines before they tested positive for Covid-19.
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) is stepping up action against people involved with the birthday party of actor Techin Ploypetch, also known as "DJ Matoom", after more Covid-19 infections were linked to the event.
Mr Techin is himself in hospital being treated for the coronavirus, with some media reports making reference to a "super spreader" and efforts allegedly made to conceal his infection.
The DDC has asked the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to prosecute infected people who conceal their timelines.
Apisamai Srirangsun, assistant spokeswoman of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), announced the department's move on Thursday.
At the same time, she updated the number of Covid-19 cases linked to the celebrity DJ's illegal party bash, saying there were now 26 confirmed Covid-19 infections and 113 at-risk people.
Another 53 were considered at low risk of infection but the figures could rise, she said.
"These people at high and low risk have visited many places, including hotels and restaurants. Disease control officials are concerned because information from these people is inconsistent, even though they visited the same places. Some even concealed information," Dr Apisamai said.
"The disease could spread farther, and it could be too late to control it."
The Disease Control Department told the BMA that people who concealed information were breaking several laws, including the Communicable Disease Act, the Executive Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations to control Covid-19, and the Criminal Code for giving false information to officials.
Legal action could be taken against those in charge of Mr Techin's party for violating the ban on crowded gatherings, as well as partygoers, who also breached the state of emergency.
Such offences carried a prison term of up to two years and/or a fine of 40,000 baht, Dr Apisamai said, pointing out that the case would be handled in a way that would be a lesson for future habits, urban lifestyles and Covid-19 control.
Meanwhile, a police officer who tested positive for the virus told the media that he had fully informed officials about his timeline and wondered why the BMA had said he was concealing the information.
Hotels and tourism attractions have closure order officially issued for Chonburi, schools officially re-open next Monday
Chonburi-
The Chonburi Governor tonight (January 28th) has issued an official order to temporarily close all hotels (as well as hotel-related venues like guesthouses, resorts, etc.) and tourism attractions (that were not previously forced closed by Covid-19 measures) in Chonburi. Please read the bottom of this article before panicking as to the reason behind this order.
The closure follows the Chonburi governor Phakkhrathon Thianchai this week accepting a request from the Eastern Hotels Association to temporarily close all hotels.
Read more about our previous story in the link below.
The order stated, "All hotels and tourism places both government and non- government are ordered to temporarily close until further notice."
"Hotels and operators must help their staffers and stress this is temporary, meant to help with financial aid, so they don't leave the province in large numbers."
"Any hotel or tourism place operator who does not want to close can file a document to the district chief officer in the area within seven days from now. Those who wish to remain open and have customers or those who have special reasons for staying open (like quarantine hotels) can do so but must inform their district officials."
This afternoon the Chonburi governor Phakkhrathon Thianchai has also issued another order which allow schools to open, which we previously reported on yesterday. This order makes it official that all schools (along with tutors, educational institutions, etc.) will be able to launch again on Monday, February 1st.
This order is not because of any potential danger of the Covid-19 coronavirus or renewed spread. Hotel and tourism attraction owners who had not been previously forced closed have been asking for weeks for formal closures from the Chonburi government. This order is more of a "symbolic" closure and allows both staff and the hotel to collect social security benefits for the period of time affected by the Covid-19 coronavirus, essentially providing well-needed funds for an estimated 30,000 people who have been out of work since the end of last year due to domestic travel restrictions.
These closures will not affect any other loosening of restrictions and measures expected to take place in the near future and as stated above hotels and tourist attractions can "opt-out" of the closure if they choose to do so. We advise you to check with your hotel if traveling to the area in the near future or staying in one currently to see if they will be taking place in the order. It is also likely hotels will be able to "close" but allow current guests to stay. Quarantine hotels will not be affected.
Both orders are effective immediately today. The order is until further notice.
Chonburi is now at eight days in a row with no new confirmed Covid-19 cases
Chonburi-
The Chonburi Department of Public Health this morning (January 29th) announced zero new confirmed cases of the Covid-19 Coronavirus for the eighth day in a row in the province. Chonburi now has a total of 648 cases of Covid-19 with one death.
In the past eleven days only one case of Covid-19 has been discovered in Chonburi and all of their contacts have been reportedly traced and tested negative.
This person was a migrant worker who visited the Chonburi Provincial Employment Office.
Full testing was done on both the camp where the person lives and the office and two full rounds of testing have shown all contacts of the person as negative for Covid-19.
The Chonburi Provincial Employment Office reopened yesterday for the public.
Discussion on potentially easing more restrictions and measures around Covid-19 is expected as early as today (But there are no guarantees or promises).
Massage shops and tattoo artists were allowed to reopen two days ago by the Chonburi governor. Additionally, the Ministry of Education announced school reopening for next Monday, February 1st, including in Chonburi. A large meeting with the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration is due later today that will be officially discussing easing more restrictions around Covid-19.
Keep in mind, there is no promise of easing of business closures or other measures as health officials continue to stress caution. However, a draft proposal shown two days ago by the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration shows Chonburi proposed to become a regulated orange zone instead of a "deep red" highly controlled zone which would in theory stop strict travel restrictions requiring formal permission to enter and leave the province. We will have a full update following the meeting.
Chonburi has also ordered the closure of hotels and tourist attractions effective yesterday in a "symbolic administrative closure" that allows staff and hotels to collect social security and financial aid for the roughly month period of time that travel restrictions have been in place, bringing domestic travel to zero. It's important to note venues can opt out of this by informing district officials if they choose and the closure has nothing to do with more cases of Covid-19, etc. Hotels had been asking for this closure for weeks.
Teacher arrested for alleged sexual abuse on a minor in Bang Saen
Bang Saen –
A teacher has been arrested today (January 28th) for allegedly sexually abusing an underage female student at his tutoring school in Bang Saen.
New TV.co.th reports that the Sane Suk Police was notified of the incident with alleged video evidence.
The video, according to law enforcement who has seen it, reportedly appears to show the teacher touching a 15-year-old female student's breast and allegedly moving his hand into her skirt while she was playing on her mobile phone.
Local residents nearby said this tutoring school has been opened for more than ten years with the suspect working there.
An arrest warrant was issued for the tutoring teacher, named in the associated press only as Terdsak, 59, who is also the owner of the tutoring school.
He is being accused of 'committing an indecent act to a person over fifteen years of age by threatening with any means'.
The suspect has allegedly admitted the charge, according to Bang Saen police. The name of the school was not immediately released as the case is still under investigation as well as to see if there were potentially any more victims.
Lufthansa and SWISS are once again offering great fares for two or more people travelling together. Business Class is available from SEK 9 999 and First Class from SEK 17 999 to popular destinations such as Dubai, Bangkok, Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro.
Vaccines are being rolled out. As the world starts travelling again, the Lufthansa and SWISS campaigns offer a great opportunity to plan ahead. The companion fares are available for booking until 14th February, with travel dates extending until 10th December, 2021. This is the perfect opportunity to impress your loved one with a luxury-holiday surprise on Valentine´s Day!
The offer is bookable only when two adults travel together on the same outbound and return flights. There is no minimum stay requirement, but the maximum stay is three months. Availability in Business Class is quite generous, while First Class tends to fill up more quickly due to the limited number of seats.
Fare examples per person:
– Hong Kong from SEK 22 999 – Singapore from SEK 22 999 – Johannesburg from SEK 23 999 – Shanghai from SEK 24 999
Lufthansa Business Class – Dubai from SEK 9 999 – Singapore from SEK 10 999 – Bangkok from SEK 11 999 – Shanghai from SEK 11 999 – Hong Kong from SEK 13 999 – Rio de Janeiro from SEK 14 999
Thailand's Covid-19 Vaccination Drive Delayed as Production Delays Prompt EU Export-Ban Threat
AstraZeneca's manufacturing facility at Snackviken in Sodertalje, Sweden.
Thailand's already lagging coronavirus-vaccination campaign suffered another delay Thursday as a British-Swedish pharmaceutical developer AstraZeneca continued to feud with the European amid critical production setbacks.
Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said this afternoon that "shipment delays" may force the postponement of Thailand's vaccination drive, which was planned for Feb. 14. However, Anutin said he was confident it would begin at some point next month.
The writing had been on the wall since early this week that Thailand's first 50,000 doses of the AstraZeneca drug would be delayed as a fight between the EU and the drugmaker exploded across world headlines, with the Stella Kyriakides, the EU's health commissioner, on Tuesday threatening to ban exports of its vaccines outside of Europe due to AstraZeneca's failure to deliver promised numbers of doses to the continent.
Kyriakides accused the firm of exporting vaccine to the U.K. and other nations even as it was unable to meet its EU commitments.
The 50,000 AstraZeneca doses Thailand was set to receive next week are being manufactured at the company's Italian factory, which has suffered major production delays.
EU and AstraZeneca officials met Wednesday, but failed to end the crisis with as Brussels again blasting the company's "continued lack of clarity" on its delivery schedule and demanded a clear plan.
While both sides called the emergency talks "constructive", they did little to resolve the dispute over whether the company should deliver tens of millions more doses to the EU than AstraZeneca feels it is obligated to in this first quarter of the year.
The European Commission on Wednesday demanded AstraZeneca use production from its UK plants make up shortfalls in its EU deliveries. AstraZeneca contends its contracts only require the drugmaker to make its "best effort" to meet promised quotas.
EU officials said AstraZeneca now plans to deliver only a quarter of the 100 million doses first expected in the first quarter.
The company has blamed the shortfall on supply-chain problems and has insisted that – contrary to EU assertions – it has not diverted doses to other countries.
Siam Bioscience won the no-bid contract for exclusive rights to manufacture the AstraZeneca vaccine locally starting in May. Before then, the company was supposed to receive 50,000 doses from Italy to allow Thailand to begin vaccination front-line medical personnel, seniors and those with risky contacts to Covid-19 patients.
That plan, however, calls for inoculation of 19 million people, something the country will be unable to accomplish until at least the end of the summer based on its current vaccine-purchase commitments.
Legal action likely over celebrity DJ's Covid-spreading party
Techin Ploypetch, aka DJ Matoom, posted this picture from his hospital room, where he has been quarantined after catching Covid-19. Techin was born in Germany in January 1988 but raised in Thailand. (Photo: @matoom_efm Twitter account)
The Disease Control Department has asked the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to take legal action against people involved with the birthday party of actor Techin Ploypetch, also known as DJ Matoom, after more Covid-19 infections were linked to the celebration.
Techin, 33, is himself in hospital being treated for the coronavirus disease, with some Thai media reports making reference to a "super spreader" and efforts to conceal his infection.
Apisamai Srirangsan, assistant spokeswoman of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, announced the department's move on Thursday.
At the same time, she updated the number of Covid-19 cases linked to the celebrity DJ's illegal party bash at a Bangkok hotel.
She said there were now 26 people confirmed infected with Covid-19 and 113 at-risk people.
Another 53 were considered at low-risk of infection, but the figures could rise, she said.
"These people at high and low risk have visited many places, including hotels and restaurants... Disease control officials are concerned, because information from these people is inconsistent although they visited the same places, and some even concealed their information," she said.
"The disease could spread farther, and it could be too late to control it."
The Disease Control Department told the BMA that people who concealed information violated several laws, including the Communicable Disease Act, the Executive Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations to control Covid-19, and the Criminal Code for giving false information to officials.
Legal action could target those in charge of the party for violating the ban on crowded gatherings to help control the disease, as well as partygoers, who also breached the executive decree.
Such offences carried a prison term of up to two years and/or fine of 40,000 baht, Dr Apisamai said.
The case would be handled in a way that would be a lesson for future habits, urban lifestyle and Covid-19 control, she said.
