Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Thai government may replace emergency decree with strict amendment to Communicable Disease Act

The Thai Public Health Minister says the government is considering repealing the emergency decree come the new year and replacing it with a tougher amendment to the Communicable Disease Control Act. Anutin Charnvirakul says the proposal was raised at a Cabinet meeting yesterday.
Addressing the Thai media, he said the amendment would allow the Disease Control Committee more authority to introduce measures such as budget approval for local and state quarantine during any new outbreaks of Covid-19. He adds that the amendment aims to create flexibility and address the needs of Thai people.
The emergency decree has been in force since late March and extended multiple times since its introduction. The last extension was on November 18 and is set to expire on January 15. Anutin says if the Covid-19 situation stabilises, it will be replaced with the Communicable Disease Act come the new year.
He adds that the government needs more time before deciding if New Year celebrations must be cancelled. Despite this, numerous local authorities around the country have already made the decision to cancel their festivities amid the latest outbreak that has spread beyond the original hotspot of Samut Sakhon.
SOURCE: The Pattaya News
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Thai DJ Celebrity party is likely to be “super spreader” event

The birthday party of Techin Ploypetch, better known as “DJ Matoom”, is now considered a super-spreader source of Covid-19, with 19 people already found infected after attending the event. According the CCSA spokesperson during the daily briefing today, “Transmissions in Bangkok should be highlighted. They show the possibility of a person becoming a super-spreader”.
The birth of the super spreader birthday party started with a guest to the DJ’s party who had visited a well-known entertainment venue in Chiang Mai between January 1 and 4. He sought a Covid-19 test on January 5 following news that infected people had visited the pub, but tested negative. He should have self quarantined for 14 days, but he still flew to Bangkok and then attended the DJ celebrity’s birthday party on January 9.
DJ Matoom says he met the guest, one of his friend, on January 9, but that friend didn’t know he was infected until January 19 in which he told Matoom.
According to Dr Tanarak Plipat, now acting inspector-general of the Public Health Ministry, an infected person can transmit disease to two others on average, while a “super spreader” will transmit to multiple people.
DJ Matoom and the party’s guest were criticised of violating the disease control measures.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
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Thailand
Thailand’s tourism targets film production to gain revenue during Covid-19 crisis

Thailand’s tourism officials have a new idea to draw in visitors: film production. The Tourism and Sports Ministry is aiming to generate around 3 billion baht from foreign film crews and is targeting projects with an investment over 100 million baht, hoping to compensate for the loss of revenue due to the lack of international tourists during the coronavirus pandemic.
Foreign tourism revenue drastically dropped nearly 83% in 2020, going from nearly 40 million tourists in 2019 to only 6.7 million tourists in 2020.
The tourism department’s director-general Anant Wongbenjarat says that Thailand welcomed 176 international film productions to the country last year, generating 1.73 billion baht for the local economy. But this is a sharp decrease compared to the previous year where the 740 foreign film crews generated 4.86 billion baht.
In August, the CCSA decided to grant special entry permission to film productions. 53 film production projects were based in Thailand during August and December, contributing 1.14 billion baht to the economy. Those entering Thailand must still undergo a 14 day quarantine.
“International productions can proceed and generate income for locals despite the tourism slowdown.”
Anant also says there are 4 more film production projects underway, and it is forecasted to generate 186 million baht, bringing the total to 57 projects. In the first half of this year, there will be nine more productions expected to come in and help create at least 800 jobs for locals.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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World
Moderna vaccine is proved ‘protective’ against Covid-19 variants

As fear over new variants of Covid-19 had prompted the travel restrictions to tighten worldwide, the United States biotech firm Moderna announced that its vaccine should protect against the variants identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Latest studies on the efficacy of Moderna vaccines confirmed that the vaccines are effective and protective against new variants. The company will continue more tests adding a second booster of its vaccine, bringing to 3 shots in a total.
“We are encouraged by these new data, which reinforce our confidence that the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine should be protective against these newly detected variants.”
Last month, a private hospital in Bangkok advertised pre-orders for the Moderna vaccine, which still needs approval from Thailand’s FDA. Thailand’s Department of Health Service Support demanded that the hospital remove the advertisements.
In the ads, the hospital was charging 4,000 baht for a booking of the vaccine. In the post the hospital said the vaccine would arrive in Thailand in October 2021. They also announced that the vaccine would cost 6,000-10,000 baht.
Health officials say private hospitals will be allowed to administer vaccines that are approved by the FDA. So far, the Thai government has only approved the AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use. The first batch of 50,000 doses are expected to arrive next month. Frontline health care workers and vulnerable groups in high risk areas will be first to receive the vaccine.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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john smith
Wednesday, December 23, 2020 at 9:01 am
Disease Control Committee more authority to introduce measures such as budget approval for local and state quarantine during any new outbreaks of Covid-19.
More corruption opportunities.
Issan John
Wednesday, December 23, 2020 at 2:08 pm
Everything is a “corruption opportunity” if involves money, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad idea.
preesy chepuce
Wednesday, December 23, 2020 at 3:42 pm
All around the world, COVID increasingly looks like a sinister and cynical opportunity for governments to cross lines with regards to personal liberty. You start to wonder whether the tin-foil-hatters are the ones who believe that 1984 is really happening, or whether the tin-foil-hatters are the ones who believe the governments and their wrecking of the global economic system just to save about 0.1% of the population, mostly the unhealthy and elderly.
Issan John
Wednesday, December 23, 2020 at 3:55 pm
Whatever the percentage, it’d be a pretty sad world if the “unhealthy and elderly” were just cast aside …..
Forget About It
Wednesday, December 23, 2020 at 6:38 pm
You mean like New York City & “The Grinch” Como!?
Toby Andrews
Wednesday, December 23, 2020 at 6:31 pm
Anyone bothered to identify the medal ribbons on the health minister’s chest?
Two are for the coronations. Rama X and Rama x1
One is for the exalted order of the white elephant, Is he a white elephant?
One is for devotional services to Thailand.
One is for serving Thailand – Again!
The others I cannot identify. Maybe one is for swimming the length of a pool at school.
The other might be drinking five big bottles of Chang without falling over.
There are also seven medals awarded by the Thai red cross, and he has not got one of them.
I think that is deplorable for a health minister.
I also notice he has no parachute wings, but do parachute wings mean a Thai has actually jumped? Probably not.
Jesus Monroe
Wednesday, December 23, 2020 at 8:32 pm
Covid the oh so convenient scapegoat for the control of the people