Tourism
Chinese and Indians to be offered visa free arrival for 15 days in Thailand

The Tourism and Sports Minister says he’ll seek cabinet approval to offer visa exemptions to visitors from China and India for one year. Already Chinese tourists have a visa-on-arrival fees exemption. The current promotion is set to end on October 31 this year.
If the new visa exemption is approved by cabinet it will start on November 1 and run through to at least October 31, 2020.
The Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the visa exemption will allow travel in Thailand for up to 15 days.
“Free visas is the ministry’s must urgent stimulus policy, without which tourism arrival growth might not reach our target,” the Minister told the Bangkok Post.
A slowing global economy and a strong Thai baht have put a small dent in the rise and rise of Thailand’s ‘teflon’ tourist industry this year. But the arrival numbers have mostly recovered after a sluggish April and May this year.
The numbers show that 19.76 million tourists arrived in Thailand for the first half of 2019, a small increase of just 1.48% compared to H1, 2018. But Chinese tourists declined by 4.73% over the same period with the nationalities taking up the slack – including India – up 24% compared to the first half of 2018.
The minister says he is confident the visa exemption will help boost the number of travellers from India to reach some 3 million next year and help to encourage Chinese tourists back as well.
Vichit Prakobgosol, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents says the visa exemption will bolster the number of inbound Indians and Chinese to Thailand and will be a significant boost in tough world economic conditions.
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Medical
17 medical staff isolated due to dishonest Covid-19 patient

The already-strained Samut Prakan provincial hospital isolated 17 medical staff members today after a patient was dishonest about interaction with a Covid-19 infected patient. The patient was not forthcoming with details about coming in contact with a person that had been diagnosed with the Coronavirus. As a result, the hospital announced the mandatory quarantine of 17 medical staff members who had come in close proximity with the patient. In total, 2 doctors, 6 medics, and 9 nurses had to be relegated to self-isolation and removed from the hospitals already thinly spread staff roster.
In a Facebook post just 2 days ago, the hospital announced a sweeping reduction in services to handle the increase in Covid-19 infections. They announced they will no longer take customers from outside of the Samut Prakan province, nor are they doing any surgical procedures that are not urgent. They are advising only the sickest patients come to the hospital in person, offering a mail service with the post office to send medications and fill prescriptions.
Losing 17 medical staff members – doctors, nurses and medics – at such a crucial time will put a heavy strain on the hospital, especially if Covid-19 infections continue to spread. Samut Prakan province reported 27 local Covid-19 infections plus 13 more who transferred to Samut from other provinces, for a total of 40 new Coronavirus cases today alone.
The hospital reminded everyone that failure to disclose information about your Covid-19 infection or contact with any infected people or high-risk location can be prosecuted. Violators may be punished by up to 20,000 baht in fines and possible further legal action. The provincial hospital issued several requests for truthfulness on their Facebook page, stressing that dishonesty harms your own medical care, along with the much-needed medical staff, and only helps proliferate the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic’s third wave in Thailand.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
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Thailand
Thailand News Today | New record infection report, CCSA announces new restrictions | April 16

Here’s the latest information about upgraded restrictions for Thai provinces HERE.
In today’s episode we look at… CCSA announced 1,582 new Covid infections across Thailand in the past 24 hours, 18 provinces are to be designated as red zones, Thailand’s mercurial Public Health Minister says he is “confident” the Kingdom can overcome the current Covid-19 crisis without imposing a nationwide lockdowns and insists the AstraZeneca vaccine will remain Thailand’s primary Covid vaccine,
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Thailand
BREAKING: Covid Provincial restriction update – latest from the CCSA

The CCSA has announced its updated restrictions for the 18 ‘red zone’ provinces this afternoon. The new measures start on Sunday, April 18, and will be in place for at least 2 weeks. The restrictions are basically as we published earlier today. There are no ‘lockdowns’ or curfews despite a popular blogger jumping the gun and posting that there were curfews announced.
There’s also no specific travel restrictions imposed although the PM ‘discouraged’ travel to Red Zone provinces. Provincial governors are still able to add their own local restrictions if they deem necessary.
Here are the key points as announced by the CCSA late this afternoon…
Across all provinces…
• Closures of schools, all nightlife venues, pubs and clubs, karaoke bars and massage parlours
(except for international schools running exams)
• No events can have more than 50 people
Provincial red zones (listed below)…
• Dining-in allowed until 9pm (but can do takeaway until 11pm)
• Serving of alcohol banned
• Shopping centres and fitness centres to be closed by 9pm
(Sporting fields, exercise places, gyms and fitness clubs must close at 9pm)
• Convenience stores, markets, supermarkets must be closed by 11pm
Everywhere else…
• Dining-in allowed until 11pm
• Serving of alcohol banned
• Shopping centres to be closed by 9pm
Additionally, people are being discouraged from traveling to “Red Zone” provinces. Businesses are also being ‘asked’ to allow staff to work from home or introduce other measures to minimise risk of infection at the workplace.
The Red Zone provinces are, in no apparent order…
1. Bangkok
2. Chiang Mai
3. Chon Buri
4. Samut Prakan
5. Prachuap Khiri Kan
6. Samut Sakhon
7. Pathum Thani
8. Nakhon Pathom
9. Phuket
10. Nakhon Ratchasima
11. Nonthaburi
12. Songkhla
13. Tak
14. Udon Thani
15. Suphanburi
16. Sa Kaeo
17. Rayong
18. Khon Kaen
Earlier today Public Health Minister Anutin Chanvirakul said that the government is “confident it can overcome the current Covid-19 crisis without needing to impose a nationwide lockdown”.
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Moki
Saturday, June 13, 2020 at 5:41 pm
Welcome tight-fisted tourists. poor massage and spa workers who’ll have to comply with a cheap nagging customer who won’t chip in 1 baht extra and wants to squeeze every penny out of the poor masseuse.