There is still confusion and apparently conflicting information about being quarantined upon arrival in Thailand if you come from certain countries:
________________________________________________________
Quarantine 'recommended' but enforcement unclear
Authorities say no to compulsory quarantine for travellers from six countries, but if you don’t voluntarily self-isolate and report health updates daily, you might be fined … or maybe not.
Travellers from six high-risk areas must report daily health status or possibly face penalties
March 6, 2020
Authorities scrambled on Friday to ease worries about new self-quarantine measures for arrivals from six virus-hit countries and territories, a day after announcing compulsory isolation.
But confusion persists over whether the government is ordering or merely “recommending” self-quarantine for 14 days, with punishment for travellers who ignore the “advice”.
South Korea, China, Macau, Hong Kong, Italy and Iran on Thursday were officially designated as “dangerous communicable disease areas”.
Public Health Ministry spokesman Rungrueng Kiphati told Reuters on Thursday that people arriving from those six places would be fined 20,000 baht if they did not self-quarantine for 14 days at home or in a hotel room, “where they have to report themselves to the authorities every day or officials will come to check on them”.
On Friday, however, other ministry officials took a slightly softer line.
“For now, we are recommending people to exercise home quarantine. But if you don’t follow that, then we will use the law to take you to government quarantine centres,” said Sukhum Kanchanapimai, the ministry’s permanent secretary.
The government's Public Relations Department, meanwhile, appeared to be reading from a different script. On its verified Twitter account on Friday, it repeated the threat of a 20,000-baht fine for those who failed to self-quarantine.
Tanarak Plipat, deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control, told reporters the health ministry would issue regulations requiring all arrivals from the six areas to report their health condition daily.
“If people don’t follow the rules or falsely report their condition, like they have a cough but said they do not, then they would be breaching an official order and that will be punishable,” he said, adding that the daily health report could be done by phone, mobile app, or other channels that the ministry will create.
The ministry also said the measures could become stricter depending on the circumstances.
On Tuesday, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had posted on his Facebook page that all arrivals from Japan, Germany, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, France, Singapore, Italy or Iran “must be quarantined for 14 days” — before deleting the post just a few hours later.
Over the following two days, officials pared down the list of targeted countries to six but continued to send mixed messages about exactly what travellers from those locations could expect when they reached Thailand.
Other ministries have issued different regulations on home quarantine.
The Education Ministry recommended to schools that children who had travelled from France, Germany, Japan, Singapore or Taiwan stay home under quarantine, according to an email sent to parents on Friday from the International School of Bangkok, even though the health ministry did not recommend this.
Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry said people coming from Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands and the United States are recommended — rather than required — to quarantine themselves for 14 days.
The Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific said in an advisory that travellers from China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Iran and Italy “are allowed to enter” Thailand but have to self-quarantine at their hotel or residence.
The tourism-reliant economy is reeling from the travel curbs sparked by Covid-19, which globally has infected almost 100,000 people and killed over 3,000.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand confirmed Thursday the country could see a loss of six million visitors in 2020.
The country reported one new case of infection on Friday, taking its total to 48. There has been one fatality, while 16 people remain in hospital and the rest have been discharged.
But the number detected has remained surprisingly low, in a country visited by tens of millions of people each year.
Speculation is pointing at a limited testing regime in a country determined not to frighten off visitors.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... nt-unclear
chinese deadly coronavirus
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Gaybutton
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Re: chinese deadly coronavirus
I can hear it now...
PLEASE mommy and daddy, can't we please go to Thailand this year. It said on the internet that all that nasty adult sex stuff that you guys used to talk about in your bedroom at night when you thought we were sleeping, is not there anymore. Now it's just a fun family place for kids like us to have fun. PLEASE, can't we go. Even if we have to stay in the hotel room for the first 14 days of our 16 day vacation, we can look out the windows and see elephants, and monkeys, and people dressed in gold outfits walking around, and if we're really lucky, we might even see some of those Chinese virus people everyone at school is talking about. Plus, that still leaves us 2 days to have fun at one of those family theme parks they keep talking about on the ocean when they release us from our room. PLEASE mommy and daddy...we don't care about that crayolavirus...we just want to go.
PLEASE mommy and daddy, can't we please go to Thailand this year. It said on the internet that all that nasty adult sex stuff that you guys used to talk about in your bedroom at night when you thought we were sleeping, is not there anymore. Now it's just a fun family place for kids like us to have fun. PLEASE, can't we go. Even if we have to stay in the hotel room for the first 14 days of our 16 day vacation, we can look out the windows and see elephants, and monkeys, and people dressed in gold outfits walking around, and if we're really lucky, we might even see some of those Chinese virus people everyone at school is talking about. Plus, that still leaves us 2 days to have fun at one of those family theme parks they keep talking about on the ocean when they release us from our room. PLEASE mommy and daddy...we don't care about that crayolavirus...we just want to go.
-
Gaybutton
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Re: chinese deadly coronavirus
Yeah, right! Nice try. Good luck with this one:
________________________________________
Tourism officials extolling Pattaya’s charms but few listening
By Jetsada Homklin
March 7, 2020
Tourism officials are telling anyone and everyone that there’s never been a better time to visit Pattaya than now, but there are few indications anyone is listening.
Chairat Trirattanajarasporn, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, appealed to Thai and foreign tourists to book holidays in Pattaya as, due to the loss of Chinese tourists due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the city is more welcoming to guests.
With virtually no tour buses in sight, traffic is much better and hotels have slashed prices to low season rates, he said. Tourist attractions are teaming up to offer special packages, including those highlighting their efforts to boost hygiene. Even real estate is less expensive now, he said, making investment in condos and houses attractive.
Despite the advantages, there are few signs anyone is taking advantage of them. Pattaya’s streets feel as if it’s late-July, the dead of low season, and Chairat said the country already has lost 10 billion baht in tourism revenue from the loss of 5 million Chinese tourists, who were banned in January from traveling abroad to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Tourism Authority of Thailand Pattaya Director Pinnart Charoenpol said the agency is inviting 50 domestic and oversea tour operators to join a campaign to promote tourism. TAT also is talking with government agencies and universities in Bangkok to promote Thai family tourism during the upcoming school holiday.
Story and photos: https://www.pattayamail.com/featured/to ... ing-290410
"Some vacation. Six cheap people in an empty hotel."
Larry Haines (Speed), 'The Odd Couple'
________________________________________
Tourism officials extolling Pattaya’s charms but few listening
By Jetsada Homklin
March 7, 2020
Tourism officials are telling anyone and everyone that there’s never been a better time to visit Pattaya than now, but there are few indications anyone is listening.
Chairat Trirattanajarasporn, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, appealed to Thai and foreign tourists to book holidays in Pattaya as, due to the loss of Chinese tourists due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the city is more welcoming to guests.
With virtually no tour buses in sight, traffic is much better and hotels have slashed prices to low season rates, he said. Tourist attractions are teaming up to offer special packages, including those highlighting their efforts to boost hygiene. Even real estate is less expensive now, he said, making investment in condos and houses attractive.
Despite the advantages, there are few signs anyone is taking advantage of them. Pattaya’s streets feel as if it’s late-July, the dead of low season, and Chairat said the country already has lost 10 billion baht in tourism revenue from the loss of 5 million Chinese tourists, who were banned in January from traveling abroad to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Tourism Authority of Thailand Pattaya Director Pinnart Charoenpol said the agency is inviting 50 domestic and oversea tour operators to join a campaign to promote tourism. TAT also is talking with government agencies and universities in Bangkok to promote Thai family tourism during the upcoming school holiday.
Story and photos: https://www.pattayamail.com/featured/to ... ing-290410
"Some vacation. Six cheap people in an empty hotel."
Larry Haines (Speed), 'The Odd Couple'
-
Gaybutton
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Re: chinese deadly coronavirus
Here's the latest:
_________________
A viral wake-up call
Representatives of the tourism, retail and commerce industries offer their views on the state's handling of the epidemic
by Narumon Kasemsuk, Dusida Worrachaddejchai & Pitsinee Jitpleecheep
9 Mar 2020
Managing a virus epidemic can be a daunting task for any administration, but inefficiency by the government for its perceived failure to contain the coronavirus outbreak in Thailand has drawn waves of criticism both online and offline.
From information transparency to a slow response on urgent issues, the latest conflicting statements on quarantine requirements is hopefully the last calamity for the Public Health Ministry.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had posted a ministry announcement on Facebook that listed 11 virus-hit places as "dangerous communicable disease areas", and a two-week self-quarantine was mandatory "without exceptions". His post, however, was later deleted.
The Public Health Ministry eventually clarified that those travelling from high-risk countries didn't have to quarantine themselves and that such a measure was recommended but not compulsory.
As the coronavirus outbreak continues across the globe, the Bangkok Post talked to various sources involved in the tourism, retail and commerce industries to assess their views on the government's response to the deadly epidemic.
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT BANK
Recurring crises have hammered the tourism industry from time to time in the past 20 years, from disease outbreaks and natural disasters to political turmoil.
When facing a crisis, financial issues are a critical point of discussion for tourism, which is mostly run by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Chairat Trirattanajarasporn, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), said that apart from the short-term financial measures approved by the cabinet last Friday, tourism operators still have concerns about inferior loan accessibility when compared with other sectors.
Mostly loan conditions don't favour tourism businesses, which are seen as low-credibility enterprises.
The cabinet on Friday approved a stimulus package estimated at over 100 billion baht, comprising cash handouts, soft loans, a debt moratorium and tax benefits.
"Preparing the required documents such as cash flow statements and credit bureau is a pain point that prevent SMEs from accessing soft loans from government banks," Mr Chairat said.
The TCT is pushing for the establishment of a tourism fund or tourism development bank as a long-term solution to ease financial difficulties immediately when uncontrollable consequences arise.
Mr Chairat acknowledged that in the past operators tended to focus on their business and neglect this agenda. When the situation returned to normal, most of them had to prioritise business restoration before thinking of any long-term plans.
"The cycle of new negative challenges will come and test our resilience every decade, but there is no sustainable development to strengthen operators in this industry," Mr Chairat said. "We have to keep repeating the same practices by waiting indefinitely for the government's help."
A tourism-focused bank would require approval from other state agencies like the Finance Ministry and take more time than a commercial bank to set up.
Mr Chairat said most tourism operators are SMEs and lack the wherewithal to contribute to the seed budget for a new bank or fund.
He said he introduced the idea of collecting a tourism levy from both international visitors and local outbound travellers at 200-300 baht per person as a way to raise funds to develop Thai tourism.
Last year the Finance Ministry considered collecting a tourism tax, but the plan was derailed by the strong baht.
Mr Chairat said the idea has to be revived and started as soon as possible.
"Thailand already has Village Funds, a rubber development fund," he said. "Why can't the tourism industry, one of the biggest contributors to the country, have this kind of financial source as well?"
A financial institution designed for tourism would be useful in tackling the sudden impact on this sector, particularly when it seems on the brink of financial collapse, said Supawan Tanomkieatipume, president of the Thai Hotels Association.
She said the aid measures offered cannot cover the devastation that the tourism sector is confronting now.
"Average occupancy this month has fallen to below 30% in main destinations such as Bangkok, and we predict it'll go lower than that next month, as most Songkran activities have been cancelled due to fear of the virus," Ms Supawan said.
Last month, hoteliers were bullish about the domestic market and the budget of state agencies. But the announcement by many organisations to call off meetings and incentive activities spoiled those hopes.
ANSWER THE CALL
Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said the ministry will propose the establishment of a Tourism Fund at the next meeting of the National Tourism Policy Committee.
After listening to operators, he realised that an emergency fund is needed for SMEs during these tough times, since the conditions and long process of getting funds from the government always take a toll on operators.
"I raised the topic of a tourism fund to the secretary office of the ministry and insisted that we're able to set up this fund, but we still have to hear the opinions of other ministries in the committee, particularly Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul," Mr Phiphat said.
The most important details to discuss concern the source of funding the private sector will use for the tourism tax scheme -- collecting from both inbound and outbound tourists -- and the addition of other features that will raise the quality of the Thai tourism industry, such as providing insurance for tourists.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) supports the concept of setting aside an independent financial source for the tourism sector but insists that regulations and implementation should not create problems.
"We have Thailand's Tourism Promotion Fund, but the complicated rules have prevented businesses from accessing this fund, and it's almost impossible to use this fund for emergency cases," said TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn.
He said the option of setting up a tourism development bank may be hard in the beginning, but for the future growth it's more sustainable for the private sector and the overall economy because tourism contributes about 20% of GDP.
Some leading and emerging tourism countries, such as Myanmar and Iran, have a specific bank for the tourism sector.
Those banks not only increase the liquidity of operators based on a better understanding of the unique type of business, but they can also provide loans for essential investment that other banks may not see, such as the development of second-tier cities nationwide.
"It's true that some tourism operators can seek loans from existing financial institutions such as the SME Development Bank," Mr Yuthasak said. "But as it was set up under the supervision of the Department of Industrial Promotion of the Industry Ministry, it may have to prioritise that sector before tourism during times of crisis."
He said the spread of the coronavirus showed the tourism sector how the impact can cause damage to a fragile sector if required to wait for cabinet approval, which did not come as fast as expected.
INEFFICIENT QUARANTINE
"For the Covid-19 outbreak, in particular, the government has yet to have efficient and urgent quarantine measures, a ban on any political rallies or any action that may risk spreading the virus," said Paiboon Kanokwatanawan, chief executive of The Mall Group, using the technical jargon for the illness. "The government should issue laws or ministerial regulations for such preventive measures, not just say vague guidelines.
"Anyway, don't mention how to tackle the virus outbreak, now that the government itself is failing to tackle the face mask shortage that has resulted in blatant profiteering."
In essence, the government has yet to come up with any substantial or concrete plans to tackle or remedy the existing problems, be it PM2.5 air pollution, the virus outbreak, the strong baht or the face mask shortage and profiteering, Mr Paiboon said.
Boonkiet Chokwattana, chairman of ICC International Plc, the fashion and marketing arm of Saha Group, said many stimulus measures, especially the Taste-Shop-Spend scheme, have not addressed the problems directly.
He said the process to exercise the privileges is complicated, with only tech-savvy people able to make use of such measures.
"I personally see the Taste-Shop-Spend scheme doing very little to help stimulate the economy," Mr Boonkiet said. "It just creates excitement for certain groups of people. The scheme sounds much like playing ducks and drakes."
Komsan Kwunchaithanya, acting president of the Thai Retailers Association, said the government should reinstate Shop Chuay Chart, a campaign giving shoppers personal income tax deductions with no limit on product or business category.
This programme helps stimulate spending by middle- and higher-end consumers more effectively, he said.
The association also called on the government to lower import duties as a way to boost consumption.
As Thailand's import duties are relatively higher than elsewhere, a number of Thais prefer spending their money in other countries or on the black and grey markets, which are cheaper. Cutting import duties would provide an opportunity for both Thais and foreign tourists to spend their money in Thailand.
The association also urged the government to consider temporarily reducing value-added tax (VAT) from 7% to 5% from April 1 to Sept 30 to help consumers with the cost of living.
DEMAND OUTDOES PRODUCTION
On the other hand, a state official defended the government's handling of the coronavirus outbreak and surgical mask production.
Whichai Phochanakij, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, said the outbreak is a new and urgent issue for everyone. In the initial stage, the department itself had no information about the country's current face mask production and overall production capacity.
"We later found that Thailand could make only 1.2 million face masks per day, while demand is surging significantly and far outstrips daily production," Mr Whichai said, adding that the Commerce Ministry has set up a face mask management centre to allocate masks to medical personnel.
In an attempt to end hoarding and shortages, the government via the Commerce Ministry earlier this month decided to take control of face mask production, requiring factories to supply 45% of total production or about 600,000 pieces a day to the mask distribution centre and let factories distribute the rest.
The centre will allocate 350,000 masks to the Public Health Ministry and the Government Pharmaceutical Organization for further distribution to hospitals that form the front line in the fight against the spread of the virus, with the remaining 250,000 pieces to be sent to retailers and the Thai Pharmacies Association.
Production of masks is being ramped up to meet demand.
There are 11 factories producing masks nationwide. The factories are increasing production from 36 million masks a month or 1.2 million a day to 38 million a month or between 1.3 million and 1.4 million a day.
Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit on March 5 approved an order to cap the price of domestically made masks at 2.50 baht each, effective from today.
The regulation does not apply to old stocks, which retailers must clear by Sunday.
Vendors who sell face masks at a price higher than the fixed 2.50 baht per item face a jail term of five years and/or a fine of 100,000 baht.
Face mask importers are obliged to declare their import costs to the Internal Trade Department. The mark-up on the import price must not exceed 60%.
According to Mr Whichai, vendors who sell masks at inflated prices or hoard the face masks are also subject to up to seven months in prison and a maximum fine of 140,000 baht.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/18 ... ke-up-call
_________________
A viral wake-up call
Representatives of the tourism, retail and commerce industries offer their views on the state's handling of the epidemic
by Narumon Kasemsuk, Dusida Worrachaddejchai & Pitsinee Jitpleecheep
9 Mar 2020
Managing a virus epidemic can be a daunting task for any administration, but inefficiency by the government for its perceived failure to contain the coronavirus outbreak in Thailand has drawn waves of criticism both online and offline.
From information transparency to a slow response on urgent issues, the latest conflicting statements on quarantine requirements is hopefully the last calamity for the Public Health Ministry.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had posted a ministry announcement on Facebook that listed 11 virus-hit places as "dangerous communicable disease areas", and a two-week self-quarantine was mandatory "without exceptions". His post, however, was later deleted.
The Public Health Ministry eventually clarified that those travelling from high-risk countries didn't have to quarantine themselves and that such a measure was recommended but not compulsory.
As the coronavirus outbreak continues across the globe, the Bangkok Post talked to various sources involved in the tourism, retail and commerce industries to assess their views on the government's response to the deadly epidemic.
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT BANK
Recurring crises have hammered the tourism industry from time to time in the past 20 years, from disease outbreaks and natural disasters to political turmoil.
When facing a crisis, financial issues are a critical point of discussion for tourism, which is mostly run by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Chairat Trirattanajarasporn, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), said that apart from the short-term financial measures approved by the cabinet last Friday, tourism operators still have concerns about inferior loan accessibility when compared with other sectors.
Mostly loan conditions don't favour tourism businesses, which are seen as low-credibility enterprises.
The cabinet on Friday approved a stimulus package estimated at over 100 billion baht, comprising cash handouts, soft loans, a debt moratorium and tax benefits.
"Preparing the required documents such as cash flow statements and credit bureau is a pain point that prevent SMEs from accessing soft loans from government banks," Mr Chairat said.
The TCT is pushing for the establishment of a tourism fund or tourism development bank as a long-term solution to ease financial difficulties immediately when uncontrollable consequences arise.
Mr Chairat acknowledged that in the past operators tended to focus on their business and neglect this agenda. When the situation returned to normal, most of them had to prioritise business restoration before thinking of any long-term plans.
"The cycle of new negative challenges will come and test our resilience every decade, but there is no sustainable development to strengthen operators in this industry," Mr Chairat said. "We have to keep repeating the same practices by waiting indefinitely for the government's help."
A tourism-focused bank would require approval from other state agencies like the Finance Ministry and take more time than a commercial bank to set up.
Mr Chairat said most tourism operators are SMEs and lack the wherewithal to contribute to the seed budget for a new bank or fund.
He said he introduced the idea of collecting a tourism levy from both international visitors and local outbound travellers at 200-300 baht per person as a way to raise funds to develop Thai tourism.
Last year the Finance Ministry considered collecting a tourism tax, but the plan was derailed by the strong baht.
Mr Chairat said the idea has to be revived and started as soon as possible.
"Thailand already has Village Funds, a rubber development fund," he said. "Why can't the tourism industry, one of the biggest contributors to the country, have this kind of financial source as well?"
A financial institution designed for tourism would be useful in tackling the sudden impact on this sector, particularly when it seems on the brink of financial collapse, said Supawan Tanomkieatipume, president of the Thai Hotels Association.
She said the aid measures offered cannot cover the devastation that the tourism sector is confronting now.
"Average occupancy this month has fallen to below 30% in main destinations such as Bangkok, and we predict it'll go lower than that next month, as most Songkran activities have been cancelled due to fear of the virus," Ms Supawan said.
Last month, hoteliers were bullish about the domestic market and the budget of state agencies. But the announcement by many organisations to call off meetings and incentive activities spoiled those hopes.
ANSWER THE CALL
Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said the ministry will propose the establishment of a Tourism Fund at the next meeting of the National Tourism Policy Committee.
After listening to operators, he realised that an emergency fund is needed for SMEs during these tough times, since the conditions and long process of getting funds from the government always take a toll on operators.
"I raised the topic of a tourism fund to the secretary office of the ministry and insisted that we're able to set up this fund, but we still have to hear the opinions of other ministries in the committee, particularly Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul," Mr Phiphat said.
The most important details to discuss concern the source of funding the private sector will use for the tourism tax scheme -- collecting from both inbound and outbound tourists -- and the addition of other features that will raise the quality of the Thai tourism industry, such as providing insurance for tourists.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) supports the concept of setting aside an independent financial source for the tourism sector but insists that regulations and implementation should not create problems.
"We have Thailand's Tourism Promotion Fund, but the complicated rules have prevented businesses from accessing this fund, and it's almost impossible to use this fund for emergency cases," said TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn.
He said the option of setting up a tourism development bank may be hard in the beginning, but for the future growth it's more sustainable for the private sector and the overall economy because tourism contributes about 20% of GDP.
Some leading and emerging tourism countries, such as Myanmar and Iran, have a specific bank for the tourism sector.
Those banks not only increase the liquidity of operators based on a better understanding of the unique type of business, but they can also provide loans for essential investment that other banks may not see, such as the development of second-tier cities nationwide.
"It's true that some tourism operators can seek loans from existing financial institutions such as the SME Development Bank," Mr Yuthasak said. "But as it was set up under the supervision of the Department of Industrial Promotion of the Industry Ministry, it may have to prioritise that sector before tourism during times of crisis."
He said the spread of the coronavirus showed the tourism sector how the impact can cause damage to a fragile sector if required to wait for cabinet approval, which did not come as fast as expected.
INEFFICIENT QUARANTINE
"For the Covid-19 outbreak, in particular, the government has yet to have efficient and urgent quarantine measures, a ban on any political rallies or any action that may risk spreading the virus," said Paiboon Kanokwatanawan, chief executive of The Mall Group, using the technical jargon for the illness. "The government should issue laws or ministerial regulations for such preventive measures, not just say vague guidelines.
"Anyway, don't mention how to tackle the virus outbreak, now that the government itself is failing to tackle the face mask shortage that has resulted in blatant profiteering."
In essence, the government has yet to come up with any substantial or concrete plans to tackle or remedy the existing problems, be it PM2.5 air pollution, the virus outbreak, the strong baht or the face mask shortage and profiteering, Mr Paiboon said.
Boonkiet Chokwattana, chairman of ICC International Plc, the fashion and marketing arm of Saha Group, said many stimulus measures, especially the Taste-Shop-Spend scheme, have not addressed the problems directly.
He said the process to exercise the privileges is complicated, with only tech-savvy people able to make use of such measures.
"I personally see the Taste-Shop-Spend scheme doing very little to help stimulate the economy," Mr Boonkiet said. "It just creates excitement for certain groups of people. The scheme sounds much like playing ducks and drakes."
Komsan Kwunchaithanya, acting president of the Thai Retailers Association, said the government should reinstate Shop Chuay Chart, a campaign giving shoppers personal income tax deductions with no limit on product or business category.
This programme helps stimulate spending by middle- and higher-end consumers more effectively, he said.
The association also called on the government to lower import duties as a way to boost consumption.
As Thailand's import duties are relatively higher than elsewhere, a number of Thais prefer spending their money in other countries or on the black and grey markets, which are cheaper. Cutting import duties would provide an opportunity for both Thais and foreign tourists to spend their money in Thailand.
The association also urged the government to consider temporarily reducing value-added tax (VAT) from 7% to 5% from April 1 to Sept 30 to help consumers with the cost of living.
DEMAND OUTDOES PRODUCTION
On the other hand, a state official defended the government's handling of the coronavirus outbreak and surgical mask production.
Whichai Phochanakij, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, said the outbreak is a new and urgent issue for everyone. In the initial stage, the department itself had no information about the country's current face mask production and overall production capacity.
"We later found that Thailand could make only 1.2 million face masks per day, while demand is surging significantly and far outstrips daily production," Mr Whichai said, adding that the Commerce Ministry has set up a face mask management centre to allocate masks to medical personnel.
In an attempt to end hoarding and shortages, the government via the Commerce Ministry earlier this month decided to take control of face mask production, requiring factories to supply 45% of total production or about 600,000 pieces a day to the mask distribution centre and let factories distribute the rest.
The centre will allocate 350,000 masks to the Public Health Ministry and the Government Pharmaceutical Organization for further distribution to hospitals that form the front line in the fight against the spread of the virus, with the remaining 250,000 pieces to be sent to retailers and the Thai Pharmacies Association.
Production of masks is being ramped up to meet demand.
There are 11 factories producing masks nationwide. The factories are increasing production from 36 million masks a month or 1.2 million a day to 38 million a month or between 1.3 million and 1.4 million a day.
Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit on March 5 approved an order to cap the price of domestically made masks at 2.50 baht each, effective from today.
The regulation does not apply to old stocks, which retailers must clear by Sunday.
Vendors who sell face masks at a price higher than the fixed 2.50 baht per item face a jail term of five years and/or a fine of 100,000 baht.
Face mask importers are obliged to declare their import costs to the Internal Trade Department. The mark-up on the import price must not exceed 60%.
According to Mr Whichai, vendors who sell masks at inflated prices or hoard the face masks are also subject to up to seven months in prison and a maximum fine of 140,000 baht.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/18 ... ke-up-call
-
Gaybutton
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Re: chinese deadly coronavirus
At the moment most pharmacies are carrying "approved" disinfectant gel - plenty of that and readily available. But in Pattaya it is very difficult, maybe impossible, to find face masks or alcohol if you want them.
Of course for the alcohol I suppose you could buy a bottle of vodka and instead of drinking it, give yourself a rubdown (better still with the assistance of a willing young gent). Booze is still readily available (as long as you buy it outside of those bizarre hours when they're not allowed to sell it) . . .
Of course for the alcohol I suppose you could buy a bottle of vodka and instead of drinking it, give yourself a rubdown (better still with the assistance of a willing young gent). Booze is still readily available (as long as you buy it outside of those bizarre hours when they're not allowed to sell it) . . .
-
Jun
Re: chinese deadly coronavirus
I have read that one needs 70% alcohol content to kill viruses, so best to distill the vodka first.
-
Gaybutton
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Re: chinese deadly coronavirus
If I had a still, I wouldn't need the vodka . . .
Of course there are plenty of reasons to buy alcohol besides trying to kill viruses. For example, if someone is about to be executed by lethal injection, don't they always swab the injection point with alcohol before administering the injection? After all, we certainly wouldn't want someone to traverse the River Styx or take a ride in the Coach Bodhar with the possibility of getting or spreading an infection . . .
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Gaybutton
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Re: chinese deadly coronavirus
Thai Government offers free medical checkups for all, including foreigners, who just came from designated high risk Covid19 countries
By Adam Judd
March 10, 2020
BANGKOK(NNT) – The government is offering free medical check-ups for all individuals including foreigners who have just arrived here, or have come into close contact with those from high-risk countries or territories already dealing with the coronavirus disease.
Thanom Ornketpol, Spokesperson for Government House’s recently established COVID-19 Data Center, has made it known that the government is offering free medical check-ups for those who recently arrived from high-risk countries or territories and are exhibiting symptoms such as fever, a sore throat or heavy breathing, asking them to contact the Disease Control Department, via Hotline 1422.
Such individuals are advised to stay in their homes, as the government will assign personnel wearing special medical suits, to go and pick-up the individuals to be checked at hospitals and will return them to their accommodation, all free-of-charge.
However, those who don’t fit the criteria will not be eligible for the free check up, but are able to personally get a medical examination which should cost 3,000 to 10,000 baht depending on the hospital.
The nine high risk countries and two territories eligible for this offer, defined by the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand, are Japan, Germany, South Korea, China and Taiwan, France, Singapore, Italy and Iran; the two territories are Hong Kong and Macau.
The Pattaya News notes that this list has nothing to do with compulsory quarantines, of which the message has still changed several times over the past week.
https://thepattayanews.com/2020/03/10/t ... countries/
By Adam Judd
March 10, 2020
BANGKOK(NNT) – The government is offering free medical check-ups for all individuals including foreigners who have just arrived here, or have come into close contact with those from high-risk countries or territories already dealing with the coronavirus disease.
Thanom Ornketpol, Spokesperson for Government House’s recently established COVID-19 Data Center, has made it known that the government is offering free medical check-ups for those who recently arrived from high-risk countries or territories and are exhibiting symptoms such as fever, a sore throat or heavy breathing, asking them to contact the Disease Control Department, via Hotline 1422.
Such individuals are advised to stay in their homes, as the government will assign personnel wearing special medical suits, to go and pick-up the individuals to be checked at hospitals and will return them to their accommodation, all free-of-charge.
However, those who don’t fit the criteria will not be eligible for the free check up, but are able to personally get a medical examination which should cost 3,000 to 10,000 baht depending on the hospital.
The nine high risk countries and two territories eligible for this offer, defined by the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand, are Japan, Germany, South Korea, China and Taiwan, France, Singapore, Italy and Iran; the two territories are Hong Kong and Macau.
The Pattaya News notes that this list has nothing to do with compulsory quarantines, of which the message has still changed several times over the past week.
https://thepattayanews.com/2020/03/10/t ... countries/
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Re: chinese deadly coronavirus
Here is the video of the incident:
The article leaves out a lot of information. It doesn't say what they did with her after the incident during the 7 hour wait. It also doesn't say whether she ended up arrested. It doesn't say just at what point the incident occurred. I'm wondering if it happened immediately when the passengers were informed or hours into the delay.
I also wonder when the passengers were informed about such a delay - before the flight, during the flight, or upon arrival.
I can certainly understand the frustration about having to endure such a wait, but that doesn't give anyone the right to behave like some kind of crazed moron or do something to somebody else, especially a crew member only trying to do her job under trying circumstances. I'm just glad I wasn't on that flight . . .