Thailand visitor numbers are down 99.8% in January
Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported (24-Feb-2021) 7694 visitor arrivals to Thailand for Jan-2021, a decline of 99.8% year-on-year.
Thailand has for four months welcomed long-stay visitors who agree to undergo two weeks of quarantine, following a lengthy ban on tourists and commercial flights that was imposed in April and devastated its economy.
Authorities are offering domestic travel incentives to spur Thai tourism but those efforts have been hit by a fresh coronavirus outbreak that has seen infections more than triple in just over a month, although its cases are still less than 14,000 in total.
In 2020, the foreign arrivals plunged 83% from a year earlier to 6.7 million – of that 6.69 million were in the first quarter before the ban was imposed in April.
Their spending amounted to 332 billion baht ($11 billion) compared to the 1.91 trillion baht ($63.75 billion) spent by nearly 40 million tourists in 2019, which was worth 11.3% of gross domestic product.
The state planning agency has forecast only 5 million foreign visitors for 2021. However, Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith told Reuters last week that projection was still uncertain. – Reuters
South East Asia under THREAT from Chinese colonisation
South China Sea: China has been accused of contributing to overfishing in the region (Image: GETTY)
South China Sea: Entire South East #Asia under THREAT from Chinese colonisation says expert.
Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (ATMI), a Washington based think tank, has said the region is under threat from overfishing, dredging, island building and clam harvesting with China being a major culprit.
12 percent of the fish caught in the world comes from the South China Sea. As reported by The Philippine Star, Mr Poling told the ANC's Headstart: "If fish stocks collapse there, it's gonna hit fisherfolk everywhere in Southeast Asia."
The vast region which sees one-third of international shipping pass through it has parts of the sea and islands within claimed by Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Some of these nations have encouraged fishermen to fish in these waters.
Mr Poling argued: "The Chinese heavily subsidised fishers to go out to the Paracel and Spratly Islands. Vietnam does the same and even if parties wanted to do something about it, it's impossible to enforce fishery rules out there."
Mr Poling explained that it would be hard to control even if The Philippines passed a fishing ban due to lack of surveillance to monitor any illegal fishing.
Fish stocks have been depleted by to between 70 and 95 percent according to the AMTI director due to military exercises in the region.
A now-deleted tweet from Philippine Secretary for Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Junior had accused Chinese poaches of making thousands of dollars by illegally harvesting clams at the Scarborough Shoal.
Mr Poling agreed with Mr Locsin, tweeting: "The Chinese poachers aren't eating them either. They can get thousands of dollars for each shell for jewellery & figurines. They toss the meat into the sea."
The claim by China overlaps all the claims of all but three claimants.
These three claimants are Cambodia who claim part of the Gulf of Thailand along with Malaysia, who also have disputes with Singapore over the Straits of Johor and Singapore Strait.
China does not have a claim to any of these bodies of water.
The name of the sea differs for some claimants, with The Philippines referring to it as The West Philippine Sea and the Vietnamese referring to it as the East Sea.
Reopening Thailand's border to vaccinated tourists could lead to another Covid-19 domestic pandemic if we are careless, leading Thai doctor and lecturer warns
Thai authorities are preparing a plan to ease restrictions for travellers vaccinated against the coronavirus, senior officials said on Wednesday, as the country looks to revive a tourism industry battered by travel curbs.
Measures for vaccinated visitors would be introduced step-by-step and could include shortening the mandatory quarantine for all arrivals from two weeks to three days for those vaccinated, or waiving it entirely, Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor (TAT) Yuthasak Supasorn said.
"We have to be fast because we want to start welcoming tourists in the third quarter," he told Reuters.
The TAT plans to begin selling tour packages after April.
The tourism ministry has also requested 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine for tourism workers in Chon Buri, Krabi, Phang Nga, Chiang Mai and Phuket.
The five provinces will from next month host "hotel area quarantine" programmes offering 5,000 to 6,000 rooms, where visitors can move around within hotel grounds instead of being confined to their rooms, according to tourism minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
The global vaccine rollout has given hope to the pandemic-hit industry, which makes up about 11% of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy.
In 2019, Thailand received about 40 million foreign tourists, who spent 1.91 trillion baht ($63.60 billion).
That compared to just 6.7 million visitors last year and revenue of 332 billion baht, due largely to Thailand's tight limits on international commercial flights and visitors.
Since October it has allowed a limited number of tourists to return on long visas, including a group from South Korea for a new "golf quarantine" programme.
"This year, we expect about five million visitors, but next year it should jump because the vaccine will have helped, maybe 15 million," Phiphat told state television.
Arrivals could reach 30 million in 2023 and return to pre-pandemic levels the year after, he said.
Thailand on Wednesday received its first 200,000 doses coronavirus vaccines. – Reuters
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has dismissed a report that a WHO team member suggested Thailand could be the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The WHO was referring to a report on Monday by Denmark's Politiken newspaper, which quoted Danish epidemiologist Thea Kolsen Fischer as saying Southeast Asia could be the origin of the Sars-Cov-2 virus, not Wuhan in China. The report named Chatuchak market in Bangkok as the possible origin of the pandemic.
Prof Fischer, who was on the WHO Covid-19 fact-finding mission to China last month, said she was misquoted by the paper and had only spoken of horseshoe bats as the possible source of SARS viruses.
"One expert member of this [China fact-finding] group was recently misquoted as suggesting that the origin of the virus was Thailand," the WHO said in a statement on Wednesday. "There is no current evidence to suggest this. The article with the misquote has since been corrected."
The WHO statement added that its team recently concluded its mission to China and is working on its report. However, the report would "not provide a conclusion on the virus origins, as much more work remains to be done to reach such a conclusion".
The UN world health agency said past experience showed that the search for the origin of the virus may take months or even longer.
Thailand's COVID-19 Vaccine Management and Distribution
Thailand has received the first 200,00 doses of COVID-19 vaccine from China's pharmaceutical manufacturer Sinovac Biotech, and the Government has worked out a plan for COVID-19 vaccine management and distribution.
The 200,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 10.17 hr on 24 February 2021. On hand to receive the vaccine were Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and senior officials, as well as Chinese Chargé d' Affaires Yang Xin, who serves as acting Chinese Ambassador to Thailand.
Another 117,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine also arrived in Thailand on the same day. On 27 February, the Prime Minister will be the first to be vaccinated with AstraZeneca vaccine and Mr. Anutin with Sinovac vaccine in order to create confidence among the people.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet on 23 February approved the plan for COVID-19 vaccine management and distribution, which aims to provide all people in Thailand with access to vaccines against COVID-19. The objectives are to reduce the risk of infections and the rate of deaths and to secure the country's public health system.
Target groups in the first phase include medical and public health personnel on the frontline, patients with chronic diseases, older persons aged over 60 years, and authorities involved with disease control.
In the second phase, target groups include medical and public health personnel who are not on the frontline, people in the tourism sector, international travelers, the general public, diplomats, members of international organizations, foreign business people, long-stay tourists, and workers in the industrial and service sectors.
The Cabinet also approved the Ministry of Public Health's plan to increase its order of AstraZeneca vaccine from 26 million doses to 61 million doses.
Airlines band together for survival, travel pass
The first delivery of Covid-19 vaccines arrives in Thailand. The AAT wants the government to prioritise air crew vaccination. (Photo by Somchai Poomlard)
Seven airlines in Thailand have formed an association to deal with the pandemic and pave the way for vaccine passport cooperation.
Bangkok Airways president Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth said the Airlines Association of Thailand (AAT) has set a long-term goal of elevating the aviation industry in Thailand.
However, the short-term priority is the soft loan request the Finance Ministry is considering.
"The domestic market seemed to improve after the lockdown relaxation was implemented nationwide, but it's still a far cry from the numbers seen prior to the latest outbreak," said Mr Puttipong.
"It may take some time to get back to 100%."
The founding members of AAT are Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsia X, Thai Smile Airways, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air and Thai Vietjet.
The group submitted the soft loan proposal to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in late August last year, but there has still been no response from the government.
Mr Puttipong, acting as the initial president of AAT, said after the group's first meeting on Tuesday executives representing each of the founding member airlines also discussed the national reopening plan and the readiness of airlines to take part in the plan.
"The vaccine passport is an important agenda item we'll push forward with the government," he said.
"Airlines are ready to support border reopening."
Mr Puttipong said the AAT would hold a meeting with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is developing an IATA travel pass as an initiative to resume international air travel.
The IATA travel pass is a digital platform for passengers that would include their health status regarding Covid-19, allowing them to share their test information and vaccination results in a verifiable and safe method.
Users can also retrieve information on tests, vaccines and other measures each destination country requires prior to departure.
Mr Puttipong said although airlines in Thailand have not yet joined the pilot project for IATA's travel pass, they agree this kind of solution should be adopted because it will help to rebuild travel confidence among people around the world.
He said the association also wants to urge the government to prioritise air crews in the vaccination scheme because airlines are on the frontline in terms of welcoming back international arrivals.
In addition to benefiting the health and safety of workers in the aviation industry, tourists would gain more confidence when boarding an aircraft if all air crews were vaccinated.
According to AAT's initial publications, the association aims to develop airline services to strengthen the industry in Thailand, integrating development to promote and support state agencies, producing "knowledge packs" including joint R&D, and collaborating with other charitable organisations for the public's benefit.
IATA Says Its Health Passport Will Be Ready In Weeks
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has stated that its digital COVID travel pass should be ready within weeks. What the organization is hoping will be the key to giving governments the confidence to reopen borders is still on trial with a number of airlines globally. However, the plan is to have a fully functioning system go live sometime in March.
IATA is betting on its new digital pass to help reopen international air travel. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
The entire aviation industry is pinning its hopes on reopening borders and international travel by the coming northern summer season. Most agree that in order for that to happen, in lieu of an all-encompassing global vaccination drive, there must be a system in place for agreed-upon standards for COVID-testing.
For the past few months, IATA has been developing a digital app called Travel Pass. This is meant to function partly as a resource for passengers to find out what tests and potential vaccines they require before travel and provide locations of verified testing facilities.
However, it will also give travelers the ability to share their test results. This means that authorized labs and test centers can send the results or vaccination certificates directly to the app, in essence creating a digital COVID-19 passport.
"The key issue is one of confidence. Passengers need to be confident that the testing they've taken is accurate and will allow them to enter the country,"Vinoop Goel, IATA's regional director of airports and external relations told the BBC.
"And then governments need to have the confidence that the tests that the passengers claim to have is one which is accurate and meets their own conditions," Mr Goel continued.
Panama was the first government to trial the pass, along with its national airline Copa. Photo: Getty Images.
When released to the public, it will be available on both iOS and Android platforms and is expected to be free for passengers. According to IATA, it is being designed in a 'modular' way so that it can adapt and connect to other systems in use around the world.
The digital pass is being designed to connect to other systems all around the world. Photo: Getty Images
Less easy to fake
Hopes are that digital certificates will inspire greater confidence as they are more difficult to fake than their paper-based counterparts. Unfortunately, accounts of individuals or even test centers providing forged documents and certificates have undermined the trust in pre-departure test-schemes, perhaps delaying the lifting of strict quarantine measures.
Forced into quarantine AFTER RETURNING from Thailand
Simon Kenway in the corridor outside his quarantine hotel room at Heathrow airport
A British man who returned to the UK from Thailand was forced to spend £1,750 on hotel quarantine after being given the wrong advice from his airline.
Simon Kenway flew into Heathrow on Sunday evening after spending two weeks and a quarantine period in Thailand.
People arriving in England from a country deemed at high risk for Covid-19 must now self-isolate in Government approved accommodation.
Thailand is not on the "red list" of banned countries, so all returning passengers should be allowed quarantine at home.
But when Mr Kenway arrived in the UK he was pulled from the "green list" queue and told he had to pay for quarantine in a hotel, because he had taken a connecting flight in Dubai — contrary to what he said Emirates had told him.
Passengers who do not arrange a quarantine package prior to arrival in England face a penalty of up to £4,000, on top of the quarantine costs, meaning the airline's advice could have left Mr Kenway with a bill of thousands of pounds.
Mr Kenway was first due to fly to Manchester but was told he could not because the airport was not designated for quarantine.
When rebooking his flight using the Emirates customer service online chat, Mr Kenway asked the representative to confirm he could quarantine at home.
He said: "After (I) arrive (in) Glasgow I go straight home for quarantine, yes?" – to which Emirates replied: "Yes".
In a second chat, rebooking his flight, he asked again: "(I) arrive in London and go straight home for quarantine, same (as) before, correct?" – to which the online representative replied: "Yes, same rules."
He was not told on either occasion that transiting through Dubai would require him to pay for hotel quarantine.
The 34-year-old told the PA news agency: "If they clearly stated I would be refused entry after transiting through Dubai, I would have paid another airline to take me home on a different route.
Passengers who pass through banned countries must quarantine unless they stay on a plane and no additional passengers are taken on.
When Mr Kenway left the UK, Thailand was on the air corridor list, with travel permitted, although he did have to pay for a 16-day quarantine in a Thai hotel upon arrival.
Details on the official Government website were "not clear" about connecting flights, he said, which is why he checked directly with the airline.
On the first day of his quarantine, he was called by a Government official.
He said: "She said the Government website states 'pass through a red zone'.
"I told her this is not clear and it needs to say 'transit'. She said she will report this and they will change the wording."
Mr Kenway has been told he must complete the full quarantine period.
An Emirates spokesperson said: "We're working closely with all relevant authorities to help get passengers home while ensuring they meet the entry requirements of their destination.
"In the case of Mr Kenway, we are currently conducting an internal investigation into his case."
Mr Kenway said he went into shock after arriving at his hotel room and has been told he cannot even leave the room for fresh air or to smoke. He has been forced to take 11 days off from his job working for a company that fixes hot tubs across the UK.
He added: "I feel like I should have at least spoken to a nurse or doctor before being put in the room, to be given a mental health assessment."
Phuket retirees refused visa renewal for failing bank balance asked to apply for COVID visa
PHUKET: Phuket Immigration is urging all expats staying on retirement visas whose applications to renew their one-year permit to stay have been refused due to financial reasons to apply for a 60-day "COVID visa" so they can continue to stay in the country.
The issue came to the fore after a retired expat who has been living in Phuket on a retirement visa for nigh on 10 years informed The Phuket News that his application to renew his permit-to-stay for another year had been refused.
The reason given for refusing his application was that he had failed to maintain the B400,000 minimum bank balance in a Thai bank account as required by the conditions of being approved a one-year 'extension" to his visa.
Phuket Immigration Deputy Chief Lt Col Nareuwat Putthawiro confirmed to The Phuket News that the requirements for a one-year permit-to-stay for people on retirement visas have not changed, despite the ongoing crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, he added, "Foreigners who have financial problems and are unable to meet the requirements [for renewing their permit-to-stay], please apply for the 'COVID visa', which allows them to stay in the country for 60 days.
"This type of visa is aimed at helping all foreigners staying in Thailand during tough situations like this, both those staying here permanently or just traveling through," Lt Col Nareuwat said.
"Additionally, they can extend the visa many times," he added.
"To apply for the COVID visa, foreigners only have to present their passport and pay the B1,900 fee. Then the officer will have a one-page document for them to fill out their information," Lt Col Nareuwat explained.
"They can also contact the Immigration office to discuss their situation to see what other options there are," he added.
Thai Airways International Plc (THAI) has no plan to buy 30 planes within 2025, acting president Chansin Treenuchagron said on Tuesday, adding that if flight demand increases the company would look into a rental option first.
A news source had said last week that THAI is planning to buy 20 to 30 planes in 2025 to strengthen its fleet and replace sold/decommissioned planes, adding that the company expected the airline industry to recover from the fallout of Covid-19 by then.
"There is a rumour that THAI would submit a plan to buy new planes along with the company's business rehabilitation plan to the Central Bankruptcy Court on March 2, but this is not true," said Chansin.
"Before entering the rehabilitation process, THAI already had a plan to decommission old planes that required high maintenance cost and had low fuel efficiency," he added.
"In the next five years, the company aims to downsize its air fleet as well as reduce maintenance cost to only necessary level, as well as find new revenue sources and increase administration efficiency in accordance with the current market demand.
"If the demand for air travel increases due to recovering global economy, the company's strategic committee would carefully estimate market trends both in mid- and long-term, and procure additional planes based on cost-effectiveness to make sure that the company does not lose its competitive advantage in the industry," added Chansin.
