Thailand News Today | WHO warns of more Covid, but does the world care?

The World Health Organisation is warning that the Covid-19 pandemic is far from finished, but the rest of the world seems ready to move on.

The WHO received data around the world showing a 30% jump in Covid-19 infections in the past 2 weeks, but the public has grown tired of safety measures and is now impatient.

The WHO blames the rise in infections to what it calls pandemic fatigue where people have lost vigilance and are bored of dealing with it. According to the WHO, testing and sequencing have decreased significantly, and vaccination and treatment have become more haphazard.

The WHO still considers Covid to be of highest alert priority and warned that with the reduction in testing and prevention around the world, newer, more potent variants could emerge more easily, making the future of Covid-19 uncertain and unpredictable.

China is the only major country in the world still pursuing a zero-tolerance with quarantines and harsh travel restrictions. One single infection was found in Wugang city this week, causing the entire city’s population to be ordered to stay in their homes.

But in much of the rest of the world, lockdowns are a thing of the past, and the economy and its citizens seem thankful for that.

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Foreigners might be able to own land in Thailand. The proposal is being drafted by the Thai Interior Ministry which would allow foreigners to own up to 1 rai of land. But, of course, there’s always a catch.

Foreign buyers would be required to invest 40 million baht in Thailand for a period of 3 years in order to be eligible for land ownership. Despite the up-front barrier, Thai politicians believe the proposal will help stimulate foreign ownership of property in Thailand.

The other catch is the limitation of the size of land that would be available to a foreign buyer – only 1 rai (that’s around 1,600 square metres, 0.16 hectare or .4 acre).

The Deputy Interior Minister Nipon Boonyamanee says the proposal will now go to Cabinet for discussion and approval.

He says that, particularly the areas foreigners tend to visit or live – Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Chonburi, Phuket and Chiang Mai – would be the major beneficiaries of the move.

He noted that, compared to other countries, the cost of property in Thailand “is not high” and that the proposal would help to stimulate the economy.

As an additional incentive, the ministry is hoping to reduce transfer and mortgage fees to 0.01% for properties which cost more than 3 million baht.

The Thai government clearly has their sights on wealthy foreigners with a new range of long term (10 year visas) and now this proposal to allow foreign ownership of land, albeit with a steep entry price.

Earlier, the Board of Investment of Thailand announced that applications for its new Long-Term Resident visa will open from September 1.

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Former Thai politician and soapy massage king Chuwit Kamolwisit is ratting out a fully operational soapy massage and alleged ‘drug pub’ joint in central Bangkok that he claims is operating illegally right under the noses of the local constabulary.

Chuwit Kamolvisit is a controversial Thai politician who was once the country’s biggest massage parlour owner, known as the “tub tycoon”. After an arrest in 2003, he publicly claimed that he paid large bribes to many Thai police officers.

Chuwit continues to keep us all amused with his sometimes cryptic and colourful stories about Bangkok’s seedy and slippery soapy massage industry. And the corruption that allows it all to function.

This time his remarks are about a ‘venue’ that Chuwit claimed was openly operating until 4am in downtown Bangkok where the head of the local Royal Thai Police were “powerless to act”.

“Don’t think it’s just Thais that make money in Thailand.”

Then he named the venue, he claimed was being run by a wealthy Chinese businessman… without actually naming the venue. Although he did hint that the name of the place starts with a T, It’s located on a road starting with an R, and is in a police jurisdiction that starts with an S.

He was a little less evasive about the name of the owner.

“It’s run by a Chinese man known as David.”

A writer at ASEAN Now notes that Suthisan police station is in the main thoroughfare of Rachadaphisek. You can figure out the rest

Bangkok has plenty of large soapy massage establishments, some parading under the euphemism of ‘gentlemen’s clubs’. In the early months of the coronavirus pandemic in Thailand, several of these clubs were found to be the origin of clusters of Covid-19, causing the early rounds of lockdowns in the city. Many Thai politicians were also named as ‘customers’ at these clubs.

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The Ministry of Transport got into gear yesterday and agreed to invest in five road construction projects worth about 234 billion baht to make life easier for Thailand’s car owners.

The Ministry of Transport signed a memorandum of understanding with highway departments to oversee the first of five, out of 19, future road construction project plans.

“The first project to be managed under the new system will be the construction of a motorway stretching 30 kilometres from Muang Mai to Kathu in Phuket at a cost of 30 billion baht.

“Initially studied and designed by the department of highways to run between Muang Mai and เกาะแก้ว, the new plan will see Exact take over the project and extend the new highway to reach Kathu and Patong.

“The second in the batch is a new 20 kilometres elevated highway called Highway No.305 (Pathum Thani-Rangsit-Ongkharak) that requires 38.5 billion baht in funding.

“The third is a plan to construct an 18 kilometres elevated motorway connecting Srinakarin Road with Suvarnabhumi Airport, which requires 43.1 billion baht of funding.

The project will also be taken over by Exat as will a 96.6-billion-baht network of river flyovers and roads to connect Samut Sakhon with Samut Prakan.

“The last of the initial batch will be a bridge to connect Koh Samui in Surat Thani with ขนอม district in Nakhon Si Thammarat at a cost of 25 billion baht.

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After all boats in Surat Thani were cancelled on Monday due to storms, Ferry routes are in full service today.

Some routes ran yesterday, mostly from the mainland to the islands and, though travel between Samui and Phangan on Raja Ferry was cancelled, Lomprayah and the Haad Rin Queen still operated.

Monday’s order called for a complete stop for any bats to leave the shore in all districts of Surat Thani all along the Gulf of Thailand.

After a strong wind wave warning for the gulf, smaller boats were ordered not to leave shore from 1 pm yesterday until 5 am today. Only boats over 24 metres long or over 200 gross tonnes were allowed to travel.

Now ferry schedules have resumed with Raja Ferry, Haad Rin Queen, Lomprayah, and Seatran operating routes between the mainland and the islands. But ports are a bit chaotic after the closures. This morning’s Raja Ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan was delayed by over an hour.

The next few days of ferries will likely be hectic and sold out as the 5-day holiday starts and boats and people are playing catch-up from the previous closures. Anyone wishing to travel is advised to book now.