Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Entertainment industry calls for 2am closing times

A leading representative of Thailand’s entertainment and nightlife industry is urging the Department of Disease Control to allow the country’s entertainment venues to close at 2 am instead of the current closing time of midnight. The meeting was held yesterday at the Chatuchak Newspaper building and called “Brainstorming to help save the economy and revive tourism.”
Thanawat Srisuk, the industry representative, claimed, among other things, that the entertainment industry was a critical part of Thailand’s tourism industry and “very important for both domestic and foreign tourists”. He told the meeting that “millions of workers had struggled during the four month closure of the industry”..
Entertainment venues around Thailand were closed on March 18 due to Covid-19 precautions and lockdowns. The government allowed e-openings of “high risk” businesses on July 1. Thanawat claimed that the entertainment industry was “the first to close and the last to open”, but is now suffering a 70% decrease in business, blaming the ongoing ban on foreign tourists and closure of the Thailand borders as the key factor.
From the staffing point of view, Thanawat also claimed that many operators in the entertainment industry depended on foreign workers from nearby countries like Cambodia and Laos… “but with the borders still closed this was also dramatically hurting the industry”.
He is proposing that the Department of Disease Control allow entertainment venues to shuffle the closing time forward to 2am, instead of midnight, to provider a longer time for venues to remain open and attract business.
Both Pattaya and Phuket, both heavily reliant on tourism, are struggling to reopen without any palpable tourist flow. A photographer sent The Thaiger photos from Patong on Saturday night estimating that only 10-15% of businesses were open in the town’s Bangla Road walking street.
PHOTOS: Phuket’s Beach Road (Taweewon Road) and Bangla Road on Saturday night – CG
SOURCE: Khaosod English
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Phuket holds vaccine administration rehearsal as it waits for green light

Phuket is rehearsing procedures to ready themselves for the Covid‐19 vaccine administration green light. A rehearsal at Vachira Hospital’s Lan Muang Khao open area was held late yesterday to iron out any kinks in the administration process. Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong watched over the procedures along with other health officials.
Pichet says the first vaccine round of 4,000 doses should arrive early in March, with the 2nd and 3rd set of doses, 16,000 and 48,000 respectively, to arrive in April and May.
“The government recognises the importance of the affected areas of the economy where the epidemic situation of COVID-19 must be stopped and has allocated the COVID-19 vaccine to Phuket Province to build herd immunity, restore the economy, return a smile to Thailand.”
“We are preparing to COVID-19 mass vaccination to build confidence among the people that they will receive a quality, safe vaccine and to receive follow-up care after it has been administered.”
Pichet says Phuket’s first target groups to receive the vaccine include medical and public health personnel, with others on the frontlines to come next.
Then, workers aged 18-59 years old, people with underlying diseases including chronic respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, cerebrovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity will follow.
“People with severe neurological conditions and pregnant women should be wary of taking the vaccine, as well as women who are breastfeeding and people with immunodeficiency.”
The procedure to get vaccinated starts by recipients undergoing screening by having their temperatures taken, and then sanitising their hands before entering the administration area. Then, they will move their way through a series of steps, detailed below:
Step 1: Register
Step 2: Record weight and blood pressure
Step 3: Pass the screening process by have their medical history and risk assessment recorded and then signing a consent to receive the vaccine
Step 4: Wait for vaccination
Step 5: Vaccination
Step 6: Rest for 30 minutes, while being observed for symptoms. Then scan the official Line account “หมอพร้อม” (“Doctor Ready”)
Step 7: Pass a final check before receiving a document confirming vaccination
Pichet says health workers will follow up with vaccine recipients after 1,7, and 30 days from being vaccinated to monitor any adverse reactions.
Those who are set to receive their second jab will have appointments made for them. Those who receive the Sinovac vaccine will be scheduled to have their second doses 2 to 4 weeks after the first. AstraZeneca vaccine receivers will be scheduled for their second doses 10 to 12 weeks after the first.
SOURCE: The Phuket News
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Coronavirus (Covid-19)
PM to receive AstraZeneca vaccine on Sunday

The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha will receive the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine on Sunday, while Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will receive the Chinese jab. According to a Bangkok Post report, Sopon Mekthon from the sub-committee on vaccine management says both politicians will receive their vaccines at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Disease Institute. On Monday, the vaccination of priority groups in specific provinces will get underway.
Speaking about the arrival of the long-awaited vaccines yesterday, Anutin said the first batch would be distributed free of charge, with costs covered by the government.
“The vaccines are for Thais and those living in the country. Anyone who charges for the vaccine will face legal action.”
Thailand has taken delivery of 200,000 doses of the Chinese Sinovac jab and 117,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The arrival of the AstraZeneca jab took many by surprise, with no mention of its imminent arrival, unlike the PR hoopla surrounding the arrival of its Chinese counterpart. Another 800,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine are expected next month, followed by a further 1 million in April. After that, the rest of Thailand’s vaccines will be from AstraZeneca, with 26 million locally-manufactured doses expected to be available from May to June and another 35 million after that.
Nakorn Premsri from the National Vaccine Institute says the AstraZeneca vaccines arrived this week as a result of a commitment by the pharmaceutical giant to ensure equal access to Covid-19 vaccines.
“The AstraZeneca vaccines that arrived in Thailand must receive a lot release certificate from the Department of Medical Sciences before distribution to priority groups designated by the Department of Disease Control.”
Meanwhile, Thares Karasnairaviwong from the Department of Health Service Support says over 1.5 million village health volunteers are educating local residents about the importance of vaccination and establishing how many people fall into the priority groups who will be first to be inoculated.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Foreign tourists must use Covid-19 tracking app when travelling to Thailand

Foreign tourists travelling to Thailand will need to download the Covid-19 contact tracking mobile application “ThailandPlus” before arriving in Thailand and use it throughout their stay. The app will notify travellers if they have been in close contact with any confirmed cases.
Throughout their trip to Thailand, tourists will need to keep the app “on” and check in and out of various locations by scanning QR codes. The app requires access to the smartphone’s GPS , but the Tourism Authority of Thailand says the information collected will only be used for public health purposes and will not infringe on the tourists’ right to privacy.
Travellers will also need to upload a recent headshot as well as supply their Certificate of Entry number and reference ID from the Royal Thai Embassy.
The app is a spinoff to the “Thai Chana” and “Mor Chana” apps. All use GPS and Bluetooth as well as QR code scanning to detect the users’ locations. The apps sparked controversy and many Thais expressed concerns about their privacy, but the government has assured the public that information will be kept private.
The development of the app is a collaboration between the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Digital Government Development Agency.
Click HERE to download the ThailandPlus.
SOURCE: TAT
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
- Thailand3 days ago
Tourism officials aim for vaccinated travellers to enter Thailand by the third quarter of 2021
- Coronavirus (Covid-19)2 days ago
PM says Thailand will consider lifting quarantine for vaccinated tourists
- Crime3 days ago
Drunk police officer shoots and beats vendor on Bangla Road in Phuket
- Chiang Mai2 days ago
4 top tourist destinations to be prioritised for Covid-19 vaccine distribution
- Bangkok2 days ago
Bangkok bars are back open, restaurants serving booze again
- Coronavirus (Covid-19)1 day ago
Foreign tourists must use Covid-19 tracking app when travelling to Thailand
- Politics2 days ago
Former Thai PM Thaksin makes appearance on popular Clubhouse app
- Coronavirus (Covid-19)3 days ago
Tourism officials call for vaccine passport strategy to re-open tourism in Q4
Jason Draper
Monday, July 13, 2020 at 10:29 am
Before the convid 19 struck. Beach vendors had to close 1 day a week, which fell on a Wednesday. During this closed period due to Corona, the beach had never look so good and clean. They even used a tractor and cleaning machine to clean the beach. Now these Beach vendors open as they please. I live across from Jomtien Beach, they open their business between 5am and 6am. Hitting their steaks for the umbrellad into the beach sand with a sledgehammer, everyday with no regards for local residence. I approached 1 particular beach vendor about why he needs to open before the sun even is awake and or 3 hours before any customers. The owner disregarded me as a farrang and basically ignored me. My question is should there be stricked opening times guided by common sense, obviously by authority, as common sense is not so common amongst less educated folk. Also when are they going to enforce 1 day a week rest.
Glenn
Monday, July 13, 2020 at 12:02 pm
a magic virus that can tell time – amazing.
a tourist industry without tourists – TIT.
a govt filled with officials who think they can ‘decree and write directives’ to command a return of tourism without opening borders to tourists – the mind reels.
remember all this when it’s time to vote in next elections.
Toby Andrews
Monday, July 13, 2020 at 12:35 pm
Well written Glen.
And what is even more tragic is that they say they cannot get the Cambodian and Lao cheap labour in across the borders.
So the jobs that they once paid Cambodians peanuts for, the Thais might have to do themselves!!!
Life not fair is it?
Still there is always fishing and farming to go back to.
David Bateman
Monday, July 13, 2020 at 1:15 pm
Whilst I applaud the government for their efforts to stop the spread of Covid, I cannot be amazed that they are dragging their feet about visa extensions. Surely, keeping people who are obviously free of Covid, and are spending money in Restaurants, fitness, supermarkets etc, should be a priority and given every opportunity to stay on until the tourist industry can return to some sort of normal? At present, people who would stay are booking flights out of Thailand because of the uncertainty.