måndag 31 januari 2022

Rayong Oil Spill Cleanup Done, But Koh Samet Now Under Threat - Bangkok Herald

Rayong Oil Spill Cleanup Done, But Koh Samet Now Under Threat

The oil is gone from Rayong's Mae Ram Phueng Beach but now idyllic Koh Samet is under threat.

Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-archa said the oil-spill cleanup went quickly at on the Muang District beach.

Satellite images from Sunday morning showed no signs of oil on Mae Ram Phueng Beach or in the sea close to Khao Laem Ya-Moo Koh Samet National Park, but that may change.

Varawut said oil-stained sand was removed, the normal condition of the beach was restored and officials would be watching for the remaining oil slicks that were moving towards Ao Phrao Bay at Koh Samet.

Mae Ram Phueng Beach was safe as winds were blowing oil slicks to the east, but they were moving toward

Officials planned to lay containment booms at a 500-meter-wide channel to protect the coastline of Rayong.

Varawut asked provincial authorities to suspend local fishing for about a month and give assistance to affected people. He said Star Petroleum Refining Plc., the owner of the undersea oil pipeline that leaked crude oil last week, would be sued for damage to marine resources.

The Pollution Control Department would report the quality of seawater until situations returned to normal, Varawut said.



Hoping for a return to normalcy. While the WHO urges caution, the public health sector is eager to turn the page, but politics is clouding the outlook. Bangkok Post

Hoping for a return to normalcy
People use the skytrain in Bangkok. The World Health Organization says it may be too soon to label Covid-19 as endemic this year. (Photo: Arnun Chonmahatrakool)
People use the skytrain in Bangkok. The World Health Organization says it may be too soon to label Covid-19 as endemic this year. (Photo: Arnun Chonmahatrakool)

The first local transmission of Omicron confirmed in Thailand on Dec 20 last year prompted the government to abruptly suspend new registrations for quarantine-free entry into the country and raise the Covid-19 alert to level 4 amid fears over the highly contagious variant.

The Public Health Ministry in late December predicted the worst-case scenario for Thailand would be a surge in cases to 30,000 per day, surpassing the peak for the Delta variant of more than 23,000 infections last year.

However, new daily Covid-19 infections lingered below 10,000 for most of January, less than the best-case scenario from the ministry.

The government then announced a plan to loosen all curbs and declare an ambitious goal to make Covid-19 endemic based on its own academically acceptable criteria by the end of this year.

The World Health Organization (WHO) stated it is too early to play down the Covid-19 threat by tagging it as endemic this year, but the Department of Disease Control insisted different countries have varying roadmaps.

The department said Thailand is ahead of WHO guidelines and other countries in certain respects.

Playing in the background of the endemic debate is yet another political brouhaha following the expulsion of 21 MPs from the ruling camp -- the Palang Pracharath Party.

The stability of the coalition government is on the line as it now has 254 seats, which could be an obstacle when it needs to command a majority in the House.

Even though the government insists there will be no dissolution, wavering political confidence remains another factor to keep an eye on as this situation could prevent the country from reaping the benefit from improvements in the virus situation in the months ahead.

NO MORE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

If the government is confident enough to declare Covid-19 endemic by the end of this year, most or all travel restrictions must be lifted because it means the pandemic is under control, said Association of Thai Travel Agents president Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn.

He said entry registrations on the Thailand Pass system should be terminated to pave the way for normal entry regulations, as used prior to the pandemic.

Foreigners should be able to apply for visas or those from nations granted visa exemptions must be allowed to enter the country without encountering any hassles, said Mr Sisdivachr.

However, as health safety measures remain necessary, some requirements such as RT-PCR tests or vaccine certificates are acceptable, he said.

The government should adopt travel regulations based on academic research regarding effective disease control to convince local communities of practical safety procedures, said Mr Sisdivachr.

"We don't have suggestions on disease control as this is up to the experts," he said.

"But we hope to see the entry process simplified to nearly pre-Covid rules if by the end of this year Covid-19 is recognised as a kind of seasonal flu."

Mr Sisdivachr said the Test & Go scheme, which has minimum requirements for travellers, is a good effort.

Yet problems are still regularly occurring with the scheme, and the tourism industry has not seen a significant recovery, he said.

Bang Sue Grand Station in Bangkok has been transformed into a vaccination centre where people can receive Covid-19 jabs. Pornprom Satrabhaya

VICIOUS CIRCLE

The recent political turbulence in the Palang Pracharath Party made an impression upon Supant Mongkolsuthree, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), with a repeat of the familiar instability in Thai politics which has been haunting the country's political and economic development for decades.

The expulsion of Thamanat Prompow, the former deputy agriculture and cooperatives minister, and 20 MPs under his wing from the ruling party raises questions regarding the government's stability, similar to previous situations. However, there is a distinct difference this time, said Mr Supant.

"The business sector is not confident the government can smoothly continue its work at a time when the country needs an enormous effort to drive an economy ravaged by Covid-19," he said.

The conflict inside the party has left the coalition government with a slim majority of MP seats, which can pose problems when the government wants some legislation to be passed by the House.

It is the latest event in a series of political conflicts that threatens to deal a blow to the government while it struggles to ease the impact of the pandemic.

Concerns over political problems, including anti-government protests, were reflected in a FTI survey of 1,395 enterprises in 45 industries in August, which was conducted to calculate the Thailand Industry Sentiment Index (TISI).

The prolonged Covid-19 outbreak and the government's decision to impose strict lockdown measures, including a nighttime curfew, in 29 provinces in August were the major causes behind a drop in the TISI to 76.8 points, the lowest level in 16 months.

Though political conflicts were ranked third on a list of worries raised by respondents during the survey, following the economic downturn and Covid-19 outbreak, the squabbles remain a risk factor in the minds of manufacturers.

People wear face masks while enjoying Benjakitti Park Phase 3 in Bangkok. The Thai government wants to label Covid-19 endemic by the end of this year.  Arnun Chonmahatrakool

The Prayut Chan-o-cha administration has been trapped in an "instability mode" for a long time because of many coalition parties, leading to inconsistency in implementing some policies, said Mr Supant.

"The economy can move forward, but it seems to proceed unsteadily," he said.

Luckily, Mr Supant said, foreign investors have a greater understanding of Thai politics. They have seen coups, House dissolution and resignations of prime ministers before, but continue to make investments in Thailand.

MOST VITAL RECOVERY

Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said the current economic situation including people's income prospects, higher prices of consumer goods, rising oil prices, the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as political stability are being monitored by the private sector.

"The country's economic recovery is the most important issue right now," he said.

"No matter whether the government changes, the ongoing efforts and measures to address the Covid-19 outbreaks, economic stimulus measures and employment need to be continued."

According to Mr Sanan, if the country can effectively contain the Omicron variant quickly and continue to roll out fast and accurate measures to stimulate the economy, the economy should recover as quickly as in many other countries.

Watchai Vilailuck, executive vice-chairman of SET-listed tech and ICT solution provider Samart Corporation, has accepted that politics can affect all businesses in the current climate.

"I have no idea whether or when a general election would be held, even the planned Bangkok gubernatorial election," he said.

The most critical factor for the country's economy is political volatility, said Mr Watchai.

"All enterprises have no choice as political movements are out of their control, but enterprises must adapt to the situation and diversify their sources of income," he said.

The country's economy faces various risks, such as the pandemic, economic volatility, political uncertainty and a decline in purchasing power, said Mr Watchai.

DIFFERENT CONCERNS

Boonkiet Chokwatana, chairman of I.C.C. International Plc, the fashion and beauty marketing arm of Saha Group, said the country's economic problems do not stem from political instability, but rather the slow pace of infrastructure development.

"The Thai government still lacks initiatives to develop new things and remains relatively slow in developing the country's promising infrastructure projects, which is a top priority for foreign investors when they are deciding whether to invest here," Mr Boonkiet said.

He said having proper infrastructure would help the country's economy grow as rapidly as China's economy has developed.

Mr Boonkiet said I.C.C.'s business is not related to political factors.

"Political risks and instabilities affect companies that do business related to politics, such as construction," he said.

Chamnan Srisawat, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said the key factor to reboot the domestic market is dependent on health and safety more than political confidence.

This means any government, no matter how power may have shifted, must continue with appropriate stimulus and lend support to help the private sector maintain health and safety standards, said Mr Chamnan.

For the international arena, the crucial factor to revive the market is each country's border policies, as many nations still have broadly divergent stances, he said.





All 25,000 Suvarnabhumi airport staff are expected to get their fourth Covid-19 vaccine shots by the end of next month as Thailand resumes its "Test & Go" quarantine waiver scheme for inoculated travellers on Feb 1, airport director Kittipong Kittikachorn said. Bangkok Post


Airport staff to get fourth shot as Test & Go resumes

All 25,000 Suvarnabhumi airport staff are expected to get their fourth Covid-19 vaccine shots by the end of next month as Thailand resumes its "Test & Go" quarantine waiver scheme for inoculated travellers on Feb 1, airport director Kittipong Kittikachorn said.

Mr Kittipong said staff are also being randomly tested weekly for Covid-19 using antigen test kits to build confidence among new arrivals.

From Nov 1 -- when the country first reopened to foreign arrivals -- until Saturday, Suvarnabhumi airport admitted a total of 381,871 people from other countries.

Of them, 317,754 arrived on the Test & Go platform; 22,918 via the Sandbox programme; 30,418 under seven-day quarantine; 9,950 under 10-day quarantine and 831 under 14-day quarantine, it said.

Mr Kittipong said Suvarnabhumi airport staff have to strictly abode by the Public Health Ministry's "Covid Free Setting" rules, which were set up in collaboration with other agencies, such as the airport's Covid-19 Emergency Operation Centre, the International Communicable Disease Control, the Immigration Police Bureau, the Tourist Police Bureau, airlines and hotel operators.

The airport has also prepared taxis and limousines with SHA Plus certificates to take passengers under the Thailand Pass programme to their hotels in case the hotels do not have enough transport, he said.

Meanwhile, Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Disease Control Department, said his department has proposed an action plan to deal with Covid-19 as an endemic as opposed to a pandemic, and it is being considered by the national communicable disease committee.

The Public Health Ministry intends to classify the spread of Covid-19 as an endemic this year.

Dr Opas said once the department's action plan is approved by the committee, details will be unveiled to the public. The aim of the plan is to guide people on how they can return to a normal life, he said, adding that under the new classification, schools can resume onsite learning, and people can go back to making a living, he said.






söndag 30 januari 2022

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂TAT predicts Hua Hin Wellness Sandboxers to spend 2x average | HUA HIN The TAT predicts each traveller will spend 109,400 per trip. Thaiger😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

TAT predicts Hua Hin Wellness Sandboxers to spend 2x average

The Tourism Authority of Thailand, well known for its glowing predictions, says that international travellers coming for the new Hua Hin Wellness Sandbox will spend on average twice as much as other tourists coming to the country. They believe that visitors to the first Wellness Sandbox of Hua Hin and Cha-Am will attract higher-spending tourists that will spend an average of 109,400 baht per person per trip.

Data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports shows that before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, tourists to Thailand spent an average of 48,580 baht per person, per trip. Locations in Thailand, like the north of Koh Phangan, show that travellers are willing to pay substantially inflated prices for accommodations and services that fall under the wellness category.

But they've got to come first.

Earlier this month it was announced that Hua Hin and Cha-Am would be a new location to fill this lucrative niche market, piloting a Sandbox program catering to wellness with an aim of converting the 2 coastal cities into a world-class medical tourism destination.

A government spokesperson explained that work is underway to upgrade the current facilities in the area so that health services and medical facilities in Cha-Am and Hua Hin meet all international standards.

The government is pushing the Wellness Sandbox programme as part of a variety of plans the Thai government has been working on to try to jumpstart the tourism industry coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic and thus boost the entire Thai economy. The boost to Cha-Am and Hua Hin ties into the Thailand Riviera project that encompasses the entire western strip of the country, including Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi, Chumphon, and Ranong.

The Thailand Riviera Master Plan shows that the four provinces have diverse tourism assets…

  • 25 national parks and water parks;
  • 528 Kms of coastline;
  • 37 beaches, 10 bays, and 25 islands;
  • 70 Royal Projects and Royal Initiatives;
  • 6 community-based tourism projects.

SOURCE: Hua Hin Today



Thailand had 381,871 international arrivals during the three months since the reopening of the kingdom on 1st November 2021. How does that compare to pre-Covid times during the same period? Richard Barrow

Thailand had 381,871 international arrivals during the three months since the reopening of the kingdom on 1st November 2021. How does that compare to pre-Covid times during the same period?

😎 Nov 2019: 3,358,592
😎 Dec 2019: 3,930,800
😎 Jan 2020: 3,810,155

🇹🇭 THAI NEWS REPORTS: From 1st November to 29th January, Thailand welcomed a total of 381,871 international travellers, 

📌 Test & Go: 317,754
📌 Sandbox: 22,918 
📌 7-day Quarantine: 30,418
📌 10-day Quarantine: 9,950
📌 14-day Quarantine: 831