A leading epidemiologist on the faculty of medicine at Chulalongkorn University is calling for the government to suspend any plan to allow foreign tourists for 6-18 months. Dr Thira Woratanarat, who makes daily updates on his Facebook in the Thai language and is well followed in the Thai media, has been delivering regular warnings about the risk of Covid-19 to Thailand. This morning, Dr. Woratanarat posted that the guard of the Thai population has dropped significantly although the virus is still very much a threat worldwide. He says research from the Ministry of Public Health, to which he is an […]

Thailand’s GDP is set to fall 7-9%, year-on-year, according to the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking. The fall is, not surprisingly, being fallout from the catastrophic drop in tourism and lower exports. Kalin Sarasin, chairman of the Board of Trade of Thailand, says the expected contraction was revised downwards from 5-8%. The committee also predicted exports would drop by 10-12% instead of 7-10% this year. “There was no economic thrust from tourism and exports, stimulus measures were about to end and employment remained fragile.” “Generally the Thai economy is highly vulnerable regarding exports, tourism and local spending. The […]

While Thailand’s borders are still closed to all but a very few foreign visitors, there are outbound flights to some destinations, but the Covid-19 crisis means that entry requirements are fluid and often unpredictable; Singapore will require some returning residents who self-quarantine to use an electronic monitoring device effective August 10, while Myanmar has extended the ban on international flights. Here are the latest travel advisory updates from around the world: Singapore: You can’t enter Singapore for short-term visits whether for business or pleasure. You can transit though Changi Airport if you’re travelling to Australia, cities in Asia, Europe and […]