Thailand News Today | Pattaya restrictions, 2021’s extra holidays, Covid update | December 30

From everyone at The Thaiger, thank you SO much for all your support over 2020. It’s been a difficult year! And we will be back in 2021 with a lot more Thailand News Today as well as other videos about Thailand and the region.

Pattaya and neighbouring Banglamung in Chon Buri province are now classified as “highly controlled” areas with an emergency order shutting down bars, parks, schools and non-essential businesses.

The emergency order was announced this morning and the order is in place until further notice.

There are no set curfews, checkpoints or travel restrictions, but the governor is urging people to stay at home. The order does not ban alcohol sales, but large parties and gatherings, even at private homes, are banned.

Here’s a list of things that are closed…

• Bars, nightclubs, karaoke bars, massage parlours, cinemas, internet cafes, entertainment and leisure venues

• Shopping malls and stores selling non-essential items

• Schools and other education related places like nurseries, child care centres and learning centres

• Gyms, public pools, public parks and other fitness-related places

• 24-hour convenience stores must close from 10pm to 5am

There’s further details about the Pattaya restrictions at the thaiger.com

Now that the Covid-19 vaccines are being rolled out in some countries, the next question relevant to Thailand is… if I’ve had a vaccine for Covid-19, can I come back without doing the mandatory quarantine?

The Public Health Ministry has issued a statement stating that, in the short to medium term, “everyone entering Thailand has to do at least a 14 day quarantine”.

“The quarantine will apply, even those people who have been vaccinated.”

The Public Health Ministry says the reason is because “the vaccination process has only just begun and there is no agreement or study on how effective the vaccine is in a real life environment.”

For now, if you come to Thailand, under any visa, vaccinated or not, you will still need to do the mandatory 14 day quarantine period, at your expense, at an ASQ facility.

Get ready for more long weekends. The Thai Cabinet has added 8 holidays to the 2021 calendar, including an extra day for Songkran in April.

The extra holidays is an effort to promote domestic tourism and stimulate the economy which has been battered by the Thailand’s reaction to the pandemic. There are 4 new national holidays and 4 regional holidays…

National Holidays

• Friday, February 12 for the Chinese New Year

• Monday, April 12, Songkran holiday extended from April 12-15

• Tuesday, July 27 for substitution day for Buddhist Lent

• Friday, September 24 to celebrate Mahidol Day which is in remembrance of Prince of Songkhla

Regional Holidays

Friday, March 26 for Wai Phra That (Northern Thailand)

Monday, May 10 for บุญบั่งไฟ, known as the Rocket Festival (Northeastern Thailand)

Wednesday, October 6 for Sart Thai, a festival held on the 10th lunar month (Southern Thailand)

Thursday, October 21 for the End of Buddhist Lent (Central Thailand)

Undocumented migrant workers from 3 countries will be able to register for legal employment allowing a 2 year stay. The Cabinet has approved the measure in an effort to control the spread of Covid-19 after an outbreak at a Samut Sakhon seafood market affecting a large, mostly Burmese migrant community, who worked around the fishing hub.

Migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar will be able to register with the Labour Ministry’s Department of Employment starting on January 15 until February 13. The workers must go through a health screening before submitting a work permit application. The workers and their children will receive health insurance for 2 years.

Undocumented migrants who do not have an employer must find a job within 90 days.

The Public Health Ministry has named 3 Bangkok eateries thought to be linked to 22 new cases of Covid-19 in the capital. People who have tested positive for the virus can be traced to 3 restaurants…

Saeb E-san Karaoke in the Thewet area, and E-san Krong Kaew and Nongmai Plaza, both in the Pinklao area.

The Ministry says that people who visited any of these 3 restaurants from December 15-20 should go into self-quarantine for 14 days and monitor their symptoms closely.

There’s also a cluster of cases in areas bordering the Covid hotspot of Samut Sakhon, and another cluster traced to a shoe factory in the Rama II area.

Again, there are more details at The Thaiger.com