Thailand News Today | Shootout in Pattaya, Exports down 7%, Hotels eschew ASQ | November 3

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Pattaya journalist injured as foreigner steals gun, fires at police, then kills himself

An armed man has killed himself after a stand-off with police in Pattaya that lasted several hours, during which a journalist was shot.

It’s understood the man, a 25 year old American citizen, stole a 9mm hun with 8 bullets from a shooting range, with staff trying but failing to stop him from making his getaway on a motorbike.

A team of over 50 officers gave chase, following the man to a central Pattaya condo, where he had barricaded himself in an apartment. He proceeded to fire several shots at officers, with a local journalist being shot in the left foot.

After hours of negotiation, a special response team led a raid on the condo, with police pronouncing the suspect dead after he shot himself in a bedroom.

The Thai journalist is expected to make a full recovery.

10 imported Covid cases reported today

Thailand has recorded 10 new coronavirus cases, all imported, taking the total number of infections to 3,797. No new deaths were reported.

The CCSA says that 5 of the new cases were Thai nationals returning home, and the other 5 were foreigners who had flown in from overseas. The foreigners included a woman from Russia, and men from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, France and Israel.

Three Pagoda Pass closure extended

Meanwhile, the Three Pagodas border pass in Sangkhla Buri, in the far west of Thailand bordering Myanmar, will remain closed for two more weeks as provincial authorities continue to worry about the coronavirus outbreak over the border.

The province announced the extension of the closure at the Three Pagodas Pass until at least November 16.

The pass has been shut since September because of the ongoing outbreak of new Covid-19 cases in Thailand’s neighbour.

Burmese authorities reported 1,202 new cases yesterday, taking the total to 54,607

Expat says he was almost deported over Facebook posts

French expat and social media vlogger, Yan Marchal says he almost got kicked out of Thailand for posts he made on Facebook. Yan appears keen for the rest of the world to hear his opinions about Thailand in recent protests…

Thai authorities are less keen.

Yan says he was on a visa under his Board of Investment company, valid until next March. He went by immigration to transfer his stamp into a new passport, but was told that his visa had been revoked.

But with the help of a lawyer, Yan met with another immigration inspector who told him that his visa was not cancelled, he will not be deported and the process for getting a new stamp in his passport would take a few days.

Yan says that he was asked to delete a couple of opinionated Facebook posts, which he did.

Last year, he was visited by police after a video he made poking fun at the NCPO. In that case Yan made a public apology and the video was removed.

Thai exports to drop 7% for 2020

Thailand’s exports are now expected to drop around 7% this year, an improvement on the 8-10% drop forecast earlier, assisted by a gradual recovery in global demand.

But the Thai shipping association says the strong baht remains a concern.

Exports, a key driver of Thai growth, contracted a less than expected 3.9% in September, compared to a year earlier.

Hotels reluctant to apply for ASQ status due to government’s cap on tourist arrivals

With the number of foreign arrivals who can enter Thailand on the special tourist visa limited to just 1,200 a month, hotel owners say they’re reluctant to go to the trouble of applying for alternative state quarantine status.

Hoteliers say a lack of tourists in sufficient numbers, coupled with the number of quarantine facilities already in existence, means the investment required to gain ASQ approval isn’t worth it.

Bangkok currently has 103 hotels approved as ASQ properties. A further 30 hotels in Pattaya, Phuket, Prachin Buri, Surat Thani and Buri Ram are ready to operate as alternative local state quarantine facilities.