Thailand
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says “sorry” for spraying reporters with hand sanitiser

PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he was just “playing” around when he sprayed puffs of hand sanitiser at reporters during a press conference. When asked questions about a possible reshuffle of the Thai Cabinet, Prayut picked up a bottle of alcohol spray at his podium and gave the front row of the press a good spray while walking off, ending the conference.
The incident was filmed live and was picked up by international news outlets. Today, Prayut made an official apology and said he was just playing.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I usually play with the media like this… I won’t do it again.”
Back in 2014, Prayut tossed a banana peel at a Thairath TV camera crew after being told to face the camera.
SOURCE: Khaosod
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Transport
Thailand aims for only electric vehicles by 2035

Thailand has announced an ambitious plan to move to only sell zero-emission electric vehicles by 2035 as it aims to be at the forefront of the electric car market. Right now in Thailand, less than 1% of the vehicles on the road are electric but an advisor to the Energy Ministry’s national policy committee said that it’s clear the world is heading that way and Thailand should grab hold of that market to help recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. The country already has a stable supply chain and strong production of conventional automobiles, so it is hoped that the transition to zero-emission vehicles will be successful.
The automotive industry brings in about 10% of Thailand’s economy and supports about 850, 000 employees. Other industries such as plastic, steel, iron, and petrochemicals are all heavily supported by the automotive industry. And 50% of cars produced in Thailand are exported around Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
The ambitious plan to make Thailand an electric vehicle country by 2035 has equally ambitious benchmarks along the way. A previous target of 30% of all vehicles registered to be electric vehicles has been upgraded to 50% by the end of this decade. But phasing out traditional gas guzzlers will require facilitation by the government to make the transition. Creating the appropriate infrastructure, developing regulations for EV manufacturing, and offering both tax incentives to manufacturers and consumer incentives to purchase electric cars will be necessary to push the public and the manufacturing sector to achieve this goal.
The Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand pointed out that letting the transition occur naturally with the growing popularity of electric vehicles may take too long, and that an ambitious target such as this is a good way to attract investors in these new technologies and manufacturing sectors. While zero-emission vehicle adoption is still low in Thailand with only about 1% of vehicles on the road being electric, the EV market has handled the economic ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic much better than the traditional automotive market. Gas-hungry traditional cars saw depressed sales down 26% in 2020, but zero-emission electric vehicles recorded an increase of 1.4% during that same period. With the right implementation and incentivisation, Thailand’s dream of becoming Southeast Asia’s electronic vehicle production hub may be possible.
SOURCE: Bloomburg
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Thailand
New Covid-19 wave could cause the Thai economy to lose 100 billion baht per month

With more than 18,000 Covid-19 cases in 22 days, the new wave of infections may have a dramatic impact on the Thai economy… possibly a 100 billion baht loss per month, according to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.
They say the outbreak is likely to primarily impact the service sector and the number of workers is expected to drop. With pay cuts and layoffs due to the outbreak, household debt could rise to 92% of GDP, according to the university president Thanavath Phonvichai. At the end of 2020, debt hit a record high of 89.3% of GDP.
Thanavath says gross domestic profit is expected to drop by 1.2% to 1.8%, but with economic stimulus measures, the economy could grow 1.2% to 1.6% this year.
“If there will be economic stimulus measures, the economy may grow 1.2% to 1.6% this year.”
The number of active cases making up a third of Thailand’s total reported cases since the start of the pandemic last year. The new wave of cases is expected to be under control within the next 2 to 3 months.
SOURCE: Reuters
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Thailand
37 inmates at Chiang Mai prison test positive for Covid-19

At least 37 new inmates at Chiang Mai Central Prison have tested positive for Covid-19 in routine testing during the quarantine period for new inmates before they enter the general prison population. Provincial public health chief Jatchuchai Maeerat said the inmates who tested positive for the virus were sent to a field hospital at the prison in Chiang Mai’s Mae Taeng district.
The Chiang Mai public health office is now urging other prisons in the area, particularly the Chiang Mai Women Correctional Institution and the Fang District Prison, to follow similar protocols as the Central Prison to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among the general prison population and the staff, Jatchuchai says.
“We test new inmates after they have been monitored for symptoms during a 14-day quarantine and then sent to the inner zone… All infected prisoners are separated and sent to a field hospital within the prison.”
Since April 1, there have been 2,448 Covid-19 cases reported in Chiang Mai. So far, 134 patients have recovered and have been released from the hospital. The Chiang Mai public health department has 16,000 tablets of the antiviral medication Favipiravir. He says it’s enough to treat the patients in Chiang Mai.
Earlier this month, there was a Covid-19 outbreak at a prison in the southern province Narathawit. The outbreak prompted prison officials to cancel visits to contain the virus.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
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Laurent
Friday, March 12, 2021 at 4:57 pm
Thank you @ The Thaiger by keeping us with this update.
What he did was not acceptable, and a sorry doesn’t work.
How arrogant. How shamefull. I want to say a lot but I will stop here.
Cheers
Tom
Friday, March 12, 2021 at 5:16 pm
I cna’t believee this halfwit actualy runs a country… what’s wrong were all the press crew dirty farangs and that’s why he sprayed it?
Kuhn David
Friday, March 12, 2021 at 9:06 pm
He needs to be dismissed from his position without delay. Unfortunately, there would be just another dimwit to step in and take his place.
Craig
Friday, March 12, 2021 at 9:19 pm
I don’t get it. How does someone like that get voted in?
Jim kelly
Friday, March 12, 2021 at 9:29 pm
the man is a TOTAL ASS WIPE!!!!!
Issan John
Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 1:20 am
“I don’t get it. How does someone like that get voted in?”
By nominating those in the senate when he was leader of the NCPO, Craig, who then voted for him after the elections.
Ian
Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 2:35 am
Laurent i dont know if you live in thailand but if you do this is why the students protest you cannot say what you believe and what you want i so want to come live and invest in thailand with my girlfriend but not under this dictatorship i want to be able to critise and praise but with freedom and free speech i ask thailand for nothing else ,oh well yes i do please make it easier for us farangs with visas ect 555
Political Observer
Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 5:59 am
What he did would be classified as assault in many Western countries. And someone would charge him with that – assault. And his sorry little a– would be dragged into a court of law in ful public view. It’s not likely a leader in the West would keep their job after something like that.
Mike
Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 8:50 am
He’s a vile little man
toby andrews
Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 11:17 am
Here he committed a crime against humanity.
.
.
.
lol
lou
Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 11:33 am
well he just mixed up the dates, we are not yet in Songkran !!! look like alzheimer has done already its job.
Stardust
Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 12:23 pm
This guy is absolute unfit to be a PM. And his childish behaviour shows his low life level.
toby andrews
Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 12:39 pm
This was a crime against humanity.
This person should be tried at the International Criminal Court in the Haig.
Nipral
Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 1:12 pm
above all utterly ill educated and stupid.
People have the leaders they deserve !
Stardust
Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 1:33 pm
This guy is absolute unfit to be a PM.
Ian Jones
Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 3:25 pm
That man was general and was scheduled to retire two weeks after the coup in 2014 started. Lucky for him he got to be the leader of the country instead, and are enjoying that a lot, regardless of total lack of competence. Probably pockets a few more baths now than a a general.
Manu
Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 4:06 pm
Firstly, I could not help laughing at this tragicomical surreal scene. But then when you look closely at his eyes and his overall attitude, you can see the typical hate and impunity of an authoritarian in power. But he lost his nerves, he might not feel so confident anymore. I cannot help wondering what would have happened if, instead of sanitiser, he had a wooden stick in his hand…or a gun…
Political Observer
Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 5:17 pm
“This person should be tried at the International Criminal Court in the Haig.”
Yes he should. He overthrew a democratically elected government. He thwarted the will of the Thai people. He denied them their right to choose their leaders.
Hector
Sunday, March 14, 2021 at 3:57 pm
The website landdestroyer wrote an article with the original video where you can hear the laughter of the journalists.
It’s sad to see that the Thaiger is participating in this propaganda.
An excerpt from the article as we can’t share a link here :
How Bad Does the Western Media Lie?
The Thai Prime Minister recently joked with journalists – but through creative editing – the Western media was able to portray it as an “attack” all as part of a “bid to dodge some tough questions.”