The second phase of the “We Travel Together” tourism stimulus campaign may be scrapped over corruption fears, according to a source familiar with the matter.
So far, more than 200 people have been prosecuted for defrauding this and other government schemes to stimulate the pandemic-hit economy.
According to the source, plans to extend the “We Travel Together” campaign with another one million discounted rooms may be cancelled. Meanwhile plans to issue more Bt600 and Bt900 daily food and travel coupons under the scheme are on hold pending investigation of corruption.
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha was reportedly furious when he heard details of the graft while chairing Thursday’s meeting of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) executive. Afterwards he instructed Deputy Police Chief Piya Utayo to find ways of punishing the culprits.
He also sought the public’s cooperation in bringing the cheats to justice.
“Solving the problem of corruption is not just the responsibility of the state,” Prayut said after the CCSA meeting.
“All parties must cooperate – givers, receivers and service providers. They must help each other by providing information so that we can arrest these fraudsters,” he added.
Prayut pointed out that “We Travel Together” was aimed at helping hotel and other tourism-related businesses recover from the impact of the Covid-19 crisis. The PM and government agencies were scrambling to find budget and set up projects, only to see them end in corruption, he complained.
Government corruption hit a new high under the post-coup National Council for Peace (NCPO) junta, according to a report released by the National Anti-Corruption Commission recently .
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who led the NCPO junta after staging the 2014 coup, acknowledged the report’s findings but said the figures drew mostly on complaints of corruption rather than proven cases.
He said that people would always try to cheat the system but said he did not want to reveal the names of the culprits.
Instead, he ordered the Prime Minister’s Office to publicise the achievements of his government to show how “well it had served the people”.
Asked whether each ministry would now be inspected for corruption, he said monitoring for government graft was the media’s job. He added that government officials preferred working behind closed doors because they were afraid of being attacked by the media if they were too transparent.
Twenty-eight Thais who returned from Myanmar completed their 14-day quarantine on Thursday and were released in a ceremony at Chiang Rai’s Wiang Indra Riverside Resort.
Provincial governor Prajon Prachsakul was also present at the celebration.
The 13 men, including Buddhist monks, and 15 women returned to Thailand on December 2 and underwent Covid-19 screen three times. They all tested negative.
Prajon said more people are asking to return to Thailand and are waiting for the process of local quarantine.
An image of pro-democracy demonstrators gathered at Bangkok’s Kaset intersection near Kasetsart University in October has been chosen as one of Time magazine’s top 100 photos of 2020.
The photo was taken by Sakchai Lalit of the Associated Press on October 19.
It shows a crowd of thousands flashing three-finger salutes of defiance against the Prayut government at the Kaset intersection in Bang Khen district.
Time chose the image among 100 photos that defined the year 2020. Others included shots of a Covid-19 victim hugging a doctor, bush fires raging in the US and Australia, the Black Lives Matter protest, and the deadly chemical explosion in Beirut.
Despite failing a test conducted by the Foundation for Consumers (FFC), Yanhee Vitamin Water issued a statement on Wednesday insisting its bottled water really carries Vitamin C.
Last week, FFC published the results of a test it conducted on 47 brands of so-called vitamin-laced water, and found no Vitamin C in eight brands, including the Yanhee Vitamin C Water.
The company, however, insists there is Vitamin C in its product, adding that vitamins tend to vanish in reaction to oxygen, as well as heat, light and humidity.
It also said that it plans to provide training to vendors on how best to store vitamin-laced water, so it doesn’t lose its goodness.
Pig farmers in Nakhon Ratchasima have been ordered to cull their herds if they find signs of a mystery disease that is killing pigs in the Northeast province.
On Thursday, Jirawan Pluangkratok, a pig raiser in Chokchai district, said two more of her herd had died of the disease, bringing the total to 10.
The Department of Livestock Development has banned unauthorised transport of pigs in Nakhon Ratchasima province until the disease is identified.
Meanwhile, provincial livestock officials have guaranteed Jirawan compensation of Bt50,000 if she culls her entire herd.
Blood samples from the dead animals have been collected but the initial examination failed to clarify the cause of death.
The samples have been sent to the Northeastern Veterinary Research and Development Centre in Surin province for further investigation.
Nakhon Ratchasima was placed on alert last year after an outbreak of African swine fever in Vietnam and China led to the culling of millions of hogs.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has sent two orangutans that were smuggled from Malaysia in 2017 back to their point of origin – Indonesia.
The female orangutans, named Natalie and Aung-Ing, were seized at the Padang Besar customs checkpoint in Songkhla province.
The primates were quarantined and dewormed before taking their flight back home from Suvarnabhumi Airport on Thursday afternoon.
Inter-provincial bus company Transport Co expects fewer people to travel upcountry during the New Year break this year due to two consecutive long weekends, the Covid-19 outbreak and resulting financial problems.
An average of 100,000 people are expected to travel out of Bangkok on December 29-30 via vans or buses, which is 30 per cent less than the same period last year.
Manote Saichuto, acting president of Transport Co, said on Thursday that trips to the North have been most affected, especially to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Nan with more than 30 per cent bookings being cancelled. This has been attributed to Covid-19 infections brought across natural borders from Myanmar.
However, he said, trips to the Northeast remain unaffected.
Transport Co is also providing extra buses to cover people wanting to travel back to their provinces to vote for the provincial administrative organisation elections this weekend. It expects at least 60,000 to 80,000 passengers to head home to cast votes on Sunday.
The Centre for the Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced on Thursday that some types of visa have been reactivated, the certificate of entry (CoE) validity extended and sports tournaments have been given the go-ahead.
CCSA spokesperson Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin said that since December 1, the authorities have been conducting three Covid-19 tests on people under quarantine, instead of two. The previous set up was to test individuals between the third and fifth day and then again between the 11th and 13th day. Under the new system, visitors will be tested on the first day, then between the ninth and 10th day and then again on the 13th or 14th day.
He said the new testing system may offer authorities an incentive to reduce the mandatory quarantine period from 14 to 10 days, though nothing is clear as yet.
Separately, the Public Health Ministry is looking for ways to cut down on the fees private hospitals are charging for Covid-19 tests. Private hospitals, which have been contracted to test people in alternative state quarantine (ASQ), have been asking the government for more funds.
Meanwhile, tourists who arrive on cruise ships and complete their 14-day quarantine on board will be allowed to extend their visa by another 15 days. The CCSA said that under the current 30-day visa, tourists only have 15 days to travel around after they have completed their 14-day quarantine.
Tourists have until December 29 to apply for the 15-day visa extension.
Meanwhile, tourists who are unable to travel within the time period specified in the certificate of entry (CoE) will be granted an extra 24 hours. If the travel can be completed within 72 hours after the original timeframe, then a new CoE will not be required.
Taweesin, however, provided little information on the Foreign Ministry’s plan to allow CoE applications to be completed online.
The CCSA has also issued a new list of 56 countries and territories whose citizens do not require a visa and can live in the Kingdom for up to 30 days. The countries are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bahrain, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Principality of Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Republic of Slovenia, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Peru, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, non-immigrant visa holders from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and South Korea can stay for a maximum of 90 days based on inter-governmental agreements.
Visa on arrival (VoA), however, is still suspended until the Covid-19 situation gets better.
Three types of visitors – transit visa holders, tourist visa holders (not from the 56 countries and territories listed above) and athletes participating in meetings or competitions hosted by Thailand – will get a 15-day extension on their visa to compensate for the 14 days lost in quarantine.
The Honda LPGA women’s golf tournament will be held in Thailand from May 3 to 9. Spectators will be allowed to join based on the virus situation at the time.
Separately, the Digital Economy and Society Ministry is planning to add Mandarin to the Thailand Plus application from January onwards. The apps will also be linked to smart wristbands and Thai Chana apps.
The spokesman added that Christmas and New Year celebrations will be held as usual, but under the new normal, people will be required to maintain social distancing, observe hygienic behaviour and agree to cooperate so there is no need for a lockdown like in other countries.
A thief called “Kid Spiderman”, who was recently released from prison, has landed behind bars again after stealing from several temples.
Somkid Taem-ngam, 33, was traced to an apartment in Bangkok’s Bang Khunthien district on Thursday, where police found several stolen items.
He had pilfered valuables from Wat Phai Lom temple in Nakhon Pathom on December 7 and was planning more raids with a friend who is expected to be released from prison soon.
Pol Maj-General Noppasin Poonsawat has warned temples to beware of people with suspicious behaviour.
The man got his nickname when he was spotted using a zip line to come down from a ceiling to steal. He was last arrested in 2016.
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha 
Prayut Chan-o-cha 
Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin
