Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Pattaya City mayor planning local rollout of Covid-19 vaccine

The mayor of Pattaya city says officials hope to be able to buy 240,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine for administration to local residents. Sonthaya Khunpluem is reviewing finances and plans to set aside approximately 80 million baht for vaccine procurement, subject to government approval.
“Currently, house registration of Pattaya City has reached a total population of 120,000 people, then we would need about 240,000 shots of the vaccine. If the price of the supplied vaccine was approximately 300 baht, Pattaya would need a budget of at least 72 million baht in order to cover all the residents in the city.”
The move comes following confirmation from the government that local authorities could purchase their own vaccines in order to speed up the process. A number of other local authorities have also said they intend to do the same. The government has stipulated that only vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration can be purchased.
Sonthaya hopes that by vaccinating Pattaya residents, tourism in the area could get a boost and the economic recovery could begin. The Pattaya News reports that officials from the Pattaya City Finance Office and other relevant agencies have met to review projects planned for the year ahead, to determine Pattaya’s spending power for buying vaccines.
It’s understood the vaccine would be offered to local residents for free, but what is not known is if that includes foreign residents. Officials have also not confirmed when the rollout is expected to begin, or which vaccine would be used.
SOURCE: The Pattaya News
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Quarantine for vaccinated travellers to be reduced to 7 days

The mandatory quarantine period for those who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus will be reduced from 14 days to 7 days, Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirankul said in a press conference. Those who have not been vaccinated, but have a medical certificate declaring that they are Covid-free, will be required to quarantine to 10 days, Anutin said, according to Reuters.
The health minister says vaccinations must be administered within 3 months of travelling to Thailand. Travellers must still show negative Covid-19 test results issued within 72 hours of their departure to Thailand. Those travelling from Africa must still quarantine for 14 days due to concerns about new variants of the coronavirus.
SOURCE: Reuters
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
CCSA Update: 71 new Covid-19 cases

71 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. There are currently 579 active cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 26,441 coronavirus cases in Thailand and 85 deaths.
“The numbers are getting better,” according to deputy spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Natapanu Nopakun, who gives the CCSA report in English. The daily active case count has remained between 500 to 600 cases for the past week, a much lower average than last month when mass testing campaigns were actively rolled out in high risk areas to help trace and contain the virus.
Out of the 71 cases, 41 were detected in hospitals, primarily in Samut Sakhon. 7 cases were detected in active case finding, including 6 in Samut Sakhon and 1 in Pathum Thani. The other 23 cases were detected in quarantine for those travelling to Thailand from overseas.
Recently, 2 beauty pageant contestants tested positive for Covid-19 while in quarantine after arriving in Thailand from overseas. Women from 63 countries travelled to Thailand to participate in a beauty pageant scheduled for later this month. Natapanu praised the health care workers for their effectiveness at detecting the virus at an early stage.
Over the weekend, the CCSA reported 65 new cases yesterday and 64 new cases on Saturday.

Daily active Covid-19 cases in Thailand as of 7 March 2021, according to Worldometers.
SOURCE: CCSA
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Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai hotels slash prices amid ongoing slump in tourism

Hotels in the northern province of Chiang Mai have been forced to cut their rates by up to 90%, in a desperate bid to attract more domestic tourists. According to a Bangkok Post report, La-Iad Bungsrithong, from the northern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association, says with tourists mainly favouring the southern beach destinations this month, hotel operators in the north of the country are preparing for the forthcoming low season.
The resurgence of Covid-19 late last year meant that in December, only 1,000 Chiang Mai hotels, offering between 20,000 and 30,000 rooms, stayed open. This month, occupancy rates have plummeted to less than 3% and are not expected to rise beyond 5% during the Songkran holiday next month.
La-Iad says traditional target markets such as China are currently off-limits due to the Chinese government placing restrictions on citizens travelling out of the country.
“Even though vaccine distribution has started globally, the target markets for Chiang Mai such as China still cannot take outbound trips. Operators have to rely on the domestic market for the whole year.”
She adds that the Rati Lanna Riverside Spa Resort, of which she is general manager, has cut room rates to 1,500 baht a night, compared to the normal rate of 13,000 baht prior to the pandemic.
Hotels are also being forced to explore new ways of making money, with around 30 hotels – all 4 and 5 star properties – now offering a “drive-thru” food service. La-Iad says hotel operators are also calling on the Chiang Mai office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand to provide visitors to the province with a 500 baht coupon to be redeemed in hotel eateries. She says the authority also needs to do more to promote inter-provincial travel, in particular from the south and north-east of the country.
In 2019, Chiang Mai welcomed 11 million tourists, with 70% of them being Thai. By contrast, there were only 1 million in 2020. This year’s number is expected to be around 25% of the 2019 figure.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Issan John
Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 10:49 am
As suggested before, local authorities such as Pattaya should buy the vaccine and sell it to farangs, killing two birds with one stone: i) make a great deal of money for the local authority, and ii) keep the whingeing farangs who want to jump the queue happy.
Win – win for everyone.
gosport
Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 12:32 pm
Great idea, I think they should try this, this also can alleviate the the concerns of foreigners and attract more foreign investors not just in tourism.
Issan John
Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 3:46 pm
Thanks’ gosport. The idea’s so glaringly obvious I can’t understand why it hasn’t been floated and Pattaya’s population of aging whingeing expats would seem the best place to start.
… and I’m not joking.
Nipral
Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 6:19 pm
Even when not joking you are funny !?????
Sam
Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 11:24 am
Wow, an amazing idea to quickly jump-start tourism back to Pattaya!
Offer complete holiday packages of hotels, tourist attractions, and a shot of vaccine!
I guarantee all hotels will be full very quickly!
Jimbo
Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 9:25 pm
Someone’s spouting porkies. Re-election time must be around the corner.
James R
Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 9:51 pm
What vaccine? You haven’t got any vaccine.
Vaccine on order in not vaccine in your hand.
You will have to join the queue.
Would you really trust the Chinese vaccine?
I know you have ordered millions of the Oxford vaccine but you will have to wait until Britain and other western countries has been vaccinated first which will take a year..
Once we have all been vaccinated will we be able to call you dirty Thais? 🙂
Plus I can imagine the vaccine will be free for the locals and 3000 baht for farangs.
You will have to take a certificate of vaccination on your next three monthly visa control visit.
I am not knocking Thailand as I love my long holidays there, Thai people are friendly and kind but being efficient and organised is not one of the country’s strong points. .
Issan John
Monday, January 18, 2021 at 1:04 am
Actually the AZ vaccine is being produced here under licence, James R.
Frank
Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 12:42 pm
What you care that it cost 3000 baht you all suppose to have an insurance in Thailand and at least igot a good one that included that already by itself.. whining again
Steve
Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 8:52 pm
Insurance will not cover a vaccine which is not manditory from an Insurance point of view, its not like a thromblytic or stenting in the sense of someone having a heart attack.
London Al
Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 7:18 pm
There will be a surplus of vaccine within the next couple of months, there already is in UAE where residents can simply walk in and get a jab, here in UK many companies have vaccine on order so they can give it to their staff, it’s the basic law of supply and demand and we’re talking zillions of dollars, we’re going to be inundated with the stuff.