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New Covid-19 wave will cost economy Bt45 billion in one month: Kasikorn Research (nationthailand.com)

New Covid-19 wave will cost economy Bt45 billion in one month: Kasikorn Research

NationalDec 23. 2020

By THE NATION

The new wave of Covid-19 in Samut Sakhon province that has led to a lockdown from December 19 to January 3 will cost the economy at least Bt45 billion in one month, Kasikorn Research Centre said on Wednesday.

“The damages can be categorised in three parts. The first is approximately Bt13-billion damage to the fishery and seafood industry as Samut Sakhon is responsible for the production of 40 per cent of the country’s seafood,” the centre said.

“The second is the damage due to a cancellation of New Year activities in Samut Sakhon and nearby provinces, including Bangkok. It is estimated that people in these areas would have spent around Bt15 billion on New Year parties, dining out and gifts,” it said.

“Lastly is the damage to domestic tourism, estimated at Bt17 billion, or about 30 per cent of total tourism income in one month. This estimation is under the assumption that intra-provincial travel is still allowed,” it added.

Meanwhile, Thanawat Polwichai, an adviser at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce’s Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting, said the outbreak in Samut Sakhon will affect the province’s economy to the tune of around Bt1 billion per day, as 70 per cent of its industry relies on seafood products while seafood markets are now being shut down to curb the outbreak.

“Ultimately, the provincial lockdown will affect the whole Thai economy – at Bt45 billion to Bt46 billion per month, or 0.2 to 0.3 per cent of the country’s GDP,” he said.

“However, if there is a countrywide lockdown similar to early this year, the GDP would take a hit by at least 12 per cent,” he said.

Despite the new outbreak, the centre is still sticking by its estimation of 2020 GDP at 6.3 per cent contraction and an expansion of 2.8 per cent next year.

Samut Sakhon Governor Veerasak Vichitsangsri said on Tuesday that the number of infected people in the province had risen to 1,063.

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Baht weakens as market watches result of MPC meeting today (nationthailand.com)

Baht weakens as market watches result of MPC meeting today

NationalDec 23. 2020

By THE NATION

The baht opened at 30.23 to the US dollar on Wednesday, weakening from 30.20 at close on Tuesday.

The Thai currency is likely to move between 30.10 and 30.30 on Wednesday, predicted Jitipol Puksamatanan, senior director of the chief investment office at SCB Securities.

On Tuesday night, some global financial markets fluctuated from good news of a new US stimulus package as well as the Covid-19 situation around the world.

The S&P 500 Index decreased by 0.2 per cent, while the price of WTI crude oil fell by 2.2 per cent. The Nasdaq Index rose by 0.5 per cent.

Meanwhile, the dollar strengthened by 0.5 per cent, the third consecutive day, amid demand for safe haven assets. The gold price decreased by 0.8 per cent.

The US Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index announced a drop to 88.6 points, from the 97 points observers expected earlier. The US Ten-Year Treasury yield decreased by 2 basis points to 0.92 per cent.

In Thailand, Jitipol said the baht would move in a narrow range before the Monetary Policy Committee makes known the results of a key meeting this afternoon.

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PM opens Chao Phraya electric ferry route (nationthailand.com)

PM opens Chao Phraya electric ferry route

NationalDec 23. 2020

By THE NATION

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday presided over the opening ceremony of the “Mine (Mission no emission) Smart Ferry” project, which features an electric ferry route in the Chao Phraya River and Thailand’s first smart pier at CAT Tower Pier in Bangkok’s Bangrak district, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said.

Prayut was accompanied by other Cabinet members, including Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda, Transport Minister Saksyam Chidchob and Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta.

“During his speech, the PM said this project is part of the government’s 20-year plan to build transport infrastructure nationwide and promote the use of electric vehicles, which will help reduce air pollution, especially the PM2.5 problem, in metropolitan areas,” Aucha said.

“The prime minister is also concerned about people’s health in this present Covid-19 situation and has urged everyone to wear face masks and take care of their health,” he said.

The premier and other ministers then boarded an electric ferry from CAT Tower Pier to Memorial Bridge Pier to witness the demonstration of the smart pier system.

“The Rama V-to-Sathorn electric ferry route will be open to the public free of charge from December 23 to February 14,” Anucha added.

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Two test positive in Kamphaeng Phet after visiting Samut Sakhon (nationthailand.com)

Two test positive in Kamphaeng Phet after visiting Samut Sakhon

NationalDec 23. 2020

By THE NATION

Two people in Kamphaeng Phet province have tested positive for Covid-19 after travelling to Samut Sakhon, a hotspot of current infections, governor Chaowalit Saeng-uthai said on Tuesday.

“One patient is a 43-year-old male, a resident of Khlong Khlung district,” he said. “He works as a truck driver delivering seafood between Samut Sakhon markets and Talad Thai and normally has two Myanmar workers on board with him.”

Chaowalit said the patient had travelled to Samut Sakhon from December 6 to 19 and was tested on December 21 following Public Health Ministry recommendations.

“The test came back positive on December 22 even though the man did not have any symptoms, so he was placed in isolation at Khlong Khlung Hospital,” Chaowalit said.

The other patient is also a 43-year-old male, from Khanuworaluckburi district. He went to Thalay Thai market in Samut Sakhon between December 4 and 18 and was tested on December 21 at Khanuworaluckburi Hospital. He was found positive but showed no symptoms and was placed in isolation at the hospital.

“Officials have traced and tested 17 persons who came into close contact with the two patients, five test results have come back negative while the rest are still awaiting their results,” Chaowalit added.

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Cool to cold weather in Upper Thailand with light fog in the morning (nationthailand.com)

Cool to cold weather in Upper Thailand with light fog in the morning

NationalDec 23. 2020

By THE NATION

The Meteorological Department said on Wednesday that a strong high-pressure system from China covering upper Thailand is weakening, resulting in cool to cold weather with light fog in the morning. Mountaintops will remain cold to very cold, with frost in some places.

Meanwhile, the moderate northeast monsoon prevails over the Gulf and the South. Waves are likely to be 2 metres high in the Gulf and above 3 metres in areas experiencing thundershowers, the department said, advising all ships to proceed with caution.

The department also said an active low pressure system over the lower South China Sea is expected to move to the Gulf during December 24 and 25. More rain and isolated heavy to very heavy showers will be likely in Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Ranong and Phang Nga. People in the South should beware of severe conditions that may cause flash floods, it added.

Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Cold to cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 10-16 degrees and highs of 24-30 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 3-10 degrees, with frost in some areas.

Northeast: Cold to cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 10-16 degrees and highs of 24-26 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 3-10 degrees, with frost in some areas.

Central: Cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 16-20 degrees, highs of 27-30 degrees.

East: Cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 16-21 degrees, highs of 29-31 degrees; waves 2 metres high and over 2 metres offshore.

South (east coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 20 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 21-25 degrees, highs of 29-33 degrees Celsius; waves 2 metres high and 3 metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 21-25 degrees, highs of 30-33 degrees; waves 2 metres high and over 2 metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 20-22 degrees, highs of 28-31 degrees Celsius.

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Pattaya cancels New Year countdown over virus fears (nationthailand.com)

Pattaya cancels New Year countdown over virus fears

NationalDec 22. 2020

By The Nation

Kittikom Teewarangkul The Nation

Pattaya has cancelled its New Year countdown event this year in a bid to curb the possible spread of Covid-19, said the city’s mayor Sontaya Kunplome on Tuesday.

The cancellation follows an outbreak in Samut Sakhon that has so far spawned more than 1,000 cases and spread to nearby provinces.

Chonburi governor Pakarathorn Thienchai, who chairs the provincial disease prevention committee, has held a meeting with related agencies on virus-control measures. As a result, he issued a ban on all New Year events in the province, including the Pattaya countdown.

The Pattaya Countdown 2021 was expected to draw about 300,000 visitors to the seaside city from December 29-31.

However, visitors would still choose Pattaya for their New Year holiday despite the cancellation of festivities, Sontaya added.

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Timeline tracking movements of Chachoengsao Covid case (nationthailand.com)

Timeline tracking movements of Chachoengsao Covid case

NationalDec 22. 2020

By THE NATION

The authorities have released an official timeline of a 24-year-old Chachoengsao resident’s movements after she tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.

The woman lives and works in Chachoengsao’s Bang Pakong district and went to work every day between December 7 and 11.

On December 12, the woman, her boyfriend and friends had a meal at a buffet restaurant in Bang Pakong’s Bang Wua area.

On December 13, she travelled to her second house in Samut Prakan district and visited the Mega Bangna complex. She also ate at a restaurant near Assumption University’s Suvarnabhumi Campus before returning to Chachoengsao.

On December 14 and 15, the patient went to work at her office and dined at a restaurant in Bang Wua sub-district.
On December 16, she only went to work.

On December 17, the woman ate at an eatery in Bang Wua area and later visited a pharmacy and local market near the Bang Wua branch of Tesco Lotus.
On December 18, she went to office.

On December 19, she visited a Toyota service centre in Samut Prakan’s Bang Bo district, before visiting her boyfriend’s home in the same province. The patient then dined at a buffet restaurant called “Nari” in Chonburi before returning to her home in Chachoengsao.

On December 20, the patient returned to Samut Prakan to cast her vote for the provincial administration organisation’s chief at the election station in Bang Phli Noi market. She also visited Chularat 11 Hospital, her boyfriend’s home and a 7-Eleven outlet in a PTT petrol station.

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Short-stay visas extended by 15 days to cover quarantine (nationthailand.com)

Short-stay visas extended by 15 days to cover quarantine

NationalDec 22. 2020

By The Nation

Thirty-day visas have been extended by 15 days to cover the time needed for foreign visitors to stay in quarantine. The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the visa extension to 45 days for short-stay visitors, said government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul.

The move was proposed by the Interior Ministry since foreigners who enter the Kingdom on a 30-day visa or visa-exempt stamp must currently quarantine for 14 days.

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Samut Sakhon outbreak hits New Year hotel bookings (nationthailand.com)

Samut Sakhon outbreak hits New Year hotel bookings

NationalDec 22. 2020Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association 

By The Nation

Thailand’s domestic tourism market has been rocked by the outbreak of Covid-19 in Samut Sakhon province that has so far spawned more than 1,000 cases and threatened New Year celebrations across the country.

Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said the surge in infections has hit hotel bookings for New Year holidays. Many tourists have cancelled advance bookings, leaving hotels to foot the bill for singers, performers and DJs already booked for New Year celebrations.

The outbreak is expected to hurt the hospitality business in Bangkok and Hat Yai in the South, both of which are heavily dependent on foreign tourists. In Bangkok some hotels are bustling, but many have remained closed since the start of the virus crisis in early 2020 and are unlikely to open soon given New Year countdowns may be cancelled.

New Year domestic tourism in secondary cities such as Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Sukhothai, Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani will likely be less badly hit. But hotels in Buriram, which is reliant on organised events, are expected to suffer a heavy impact over New Year from the outbreak.

Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said that before the Samut Sakhon outbreak, domestic tourism was on course to hit 100 million trips in 2020. That target has now been lowered to 95 million trips, generating income of Bt500 billion. Meanwhile the number of foreign tourists this year is expected to be around 6.7 million people, generating revenue of Bt330 billion, for total annual tourism revenue of Bt830 billion.

Yuthasak said tourists still wanted to holiday in popular destinations like Phetchaburi, Hua Hin and Prachuap Khiri Khan at New Year, but might have to adjust their travel plans to avoid risky areas like Samut Sakhon.

“Many may also change their travel plans to long-distance destinations that require a flight for the New Year’s holiday,” he added.

TAT’s latest tracker report shows that just 1,201 foreign tourists entered Thailand in October, a fall of 99.96 per cent compared to the same month last year. Meanwhile domestic tourists in November totalled just over 16 million (16,017,165), an increase of 10.4 per cent from a year earlier and up 2.63 per cent from October.

November’s hotel occupancy rate was 37.56 per cent, a fall of 32.77 per cent from a year earlier but up 3.5 per cent from October.

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Health officials focus on potential cases in Chiang Mai (nationthailand.com)

Health officials focus on potential cases in Chiang Mai

NationalDec 22. 2020

By The Nation

The Chiang Mai Office of Disease Prevention and Control 1 as well as Chiang Mai Municipality officials began collecting samples for Covid-19 tests from migrant workers in the Muang Mai market area on Tuesday.

Muang Mai is the largest seafood and fresh food market in the province.

Some 2,500 people work in the market, of whom 1,500 are migrant workers. The market serves no less than 10,000 customers daily. However, since the Covid-19 outbreak earlier this year, there have been no new workers or transfer of labour in the area.

Meanwhile, some 200 people were seen queuing up for tests on Tuesday.

Dr Chatuchai Maneerat from the Provincial Public Health Office said the recent outbreak in Samut Sakhon has raised awareness in Chiang Mai about high-risk groups. Vendors who get their supplies from Samut Sakhon’s Mahachai area as well as migrant workers living in cramped conditions are most at risk.

Separately, results on more than 300 samples taken at Kamthiang Market and Pa Pae community have come out negative. Though this indicates that these areas are relatively safe, full investigation is still required.

Tests will be conducted in 10 new locations, Dr Chatuchai said, adding that news of a positive case travelling from Ayutthaya province to Chiang Mai’s Mae Ai district was of great concern. Health officials have inspected at-risk areas in Mae Ai district, including the Malika and Tha Ton subdistricts. So far, 145 people have been confirmed as negative. Health officials will spend another three days collecting samples before confirming the situation.