No vax needed for Thai travel but China arrivals must have Covid insurance
TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2023
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) on Tuesday issued a new Notice to Airmen (Notam) that cancels mandatory Covid-19 vaccination.
The previous Notam, issued on Saturday, required airlines to check passengers for proof of at least two vaccine jabs and minimum health coverage of US$10,000 before boarding. Issued just two days before China removed restrictions on international travel, the “two-jab plus insurance” rule sparked a backlash from Thai tourism operators who complained it had forced many travellers to cancel flights and bookings.
The new Notam issued on Tuesday includes the following updates:
1. Vaccination is no longer required.
2. Passengers from countries that require an RT-PCR test on return are advised to have health insurance covering at least US$10,000 of Covid-19 treatment during their stay in Thailand, plus seven days.
2.1 Flight crew, students, and others on special business can use a letter from their host or other forms of insurance to cover the requirement.
2.2 Absence of health insurance is not a reason to deny boarding.
2.3 Passengers from countries that require an RT-PCR test will be checked randomly for proof of insurance. Those who cannot show proof will have to purchase health insurance before being processed by Thai immigration.
3. Thai passport holders and transit/transfer passengers are exempted from the health insurance check.
4. Airlines must comply with all regulations and guidance including asking passengers to wear masks at all times, except during meals or emergencies.
5. Passengers showing symptoms of Covid-19 during travel will be advised to test on arrival.
Travellers from China will need health insurance as their home country requires an RT-PCR test on re-entry.
dtac Joins Forces with BMA in Prevention of Online Child Exploitation
MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023
20% of children are at risk of being exploited online. Thailand ranks 2nd in the world on online sexual exploitation of children, with the number of dark webs growing by five times.
dtac has joined forces with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children (TICAC) Taskforce in a school tour to educate students at BMA-run educational institutes about online risks. The tour kicked off after findings show 20 % of Thai children are at risk of being sexually exploited online. Across the world, Thailand ranks 2nd when it comes to the percentage of online exploitation of children. Some Thai youngsters have exposed images of themselves online for money, poignantly exposing inequalities in the country. Over 2023, dtac aims to educate senior primary students across Thailand about online-exploitation threats via dtac Safe Internet project.
Thai Children are at Risk
Police Colonel Runglert Kantajan, superintendent of the TICAC Unit, said in his capacity as the head of the TICAC Taskforce that there were big risks of online child exploitation in Thailand. The report by National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) shows a significant increase in reports of Child Pornography detection in Thailand, with 117,213 reports in 2019, 396,049 reports in 2020, 586,582 reports in 2021 and 523,169 reported in 2022. In addition, the number of dark webs containing sexual exploitation content of Thai children also grew by five times compared with the previous year.
According to the Royal Thai Police‘s statistics, one predator can victimize up to 1,000 children. Therefore, up to 20 % of Thai children are at risk of being sexually exploited online. Of all child victims, 56 % have chosen to keep quiet about their ordeals. Struggling with economic inequalities and income gaps, some Thai youngsters have also agreed to show their sexual images or VDO clips in exchange for money or gifts.
“Online communications significantly enable predators to connect with children fast and easily. Exploiting children’s vulnerabilities, they use lies, coercion, and pressure to get what they want from children. These criminal offences are considered human trafficking. Their crimes are grave in nature because they hurt the rights, liberties, dignity, and security of other humans,” he said.
Thai laws, so far, impose action against predators only after damages are done. The police therefore cannot do anything when potential predators just engage in Cyber Stalking, Grooming, or Sexting. Boosting children’s digital literacy and guarding against online sexual exploitation, therefore, has crucial importance. If such crimes happen, there are always digital footprints that are hard to be wiped out completely.
BMA Toughens Up Against Online Child Exploitation
Sanon Wangsrangboon, a deputy governor of Bangkok, said BMA had operated 437 schools across all 50 Bangkok districts. These schools have taught 261,160 students.
From June 2022, BMA has partnered with dtac Safe Internet in promoting safe internet usage among BMA-run school students.
To date, the “BMA x dtac Safe Internet School Tour” training has already covered more than 10,000 students aged between 11 and 13 years old (Pathom 4 – 5 levels) with the aim to boost students’ immunity against online child exploitation.
As the training raises children’s understanding of sexual exploitation and processes, they will be able to properly handle risks. Surveys during training reveal that about three per cent of students were asked, threatened, or pressured to send sexual images or commit sexual acts online.
Up to 13 % of these students have digitally sent their images, video clips or personal information to strangers. About three per cent have received sexually-suggestive images, texts or video clips. Predators have reached out to children via social media, online games and new applications that are not yet popular among adults.
“Police records and surveys conducted under BMA – dtac collaboration have reflected the severity of online child exploitation, which needs to be urgently addressed. As the deputy Bangkok governor in charge of BMA-run schools, I am ready to prioritize efforts to solve this problem. We must urgently educate children and boost their digital literacy to stop this problem,” Sanon said.
dtac’s Training Targets Senior Primary Students
Recognizing the severity of online child exploitation, the United Nations has addressed it in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Targeted for fulfilment by 2030, Item 5.2 of SDGs seeks to eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation, while Item 16.2 aims to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence and torture against children.
On-uma Rerkpattanapipat, senior vice president for the Communications and Sustainability Division at Total Access Communication Public Company Limited or dtac, said as a telecom operator dtac was aware of online child exploitation that included sexual abuse. dtac Safe Internet project therefore not only boosts children’s access to educational resources but also promotes responsible & safe internet usage among students and teachers.
Since 2022, dtac Safe Internet project has worked with the BMA’s Department of Education in conducting training and activities to raise awareness and understanding of online and offline sexual exploitation. Efforts have also been made in collaboration to raise public awareness of the issue and engage netizens in combating the problem through communication campaigns. dtac now plans to expand the training further to cover Pathom 5 and 6 students nationwide from this year onward.
“Boosting youth’s immunity against online child exploitation marks the start of our efforts to tackle this problem. We know the complete eradication of online child exploitation requires the government sector, the private sector, and civil society to work together in raising public awareness of online child exploitation, supporting strong legal enforcement, and fostering timely response,” On-uma said.
Anutin scraps new measure seeking Covid-19 vaccination proof from foreign tourists
MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday cancelled the requirement for foreign tourists to show a proof of full Covid-19 vaccination or a certificate of recovery from the disease not more than 180 days before departure.
Anutin announced the cancellation of the requirement on the same day when an order issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) for airlines to request documents took effect.
On Sunday, the CAAT issued a 7-point Notice to Airmen (Notam) that all airlines must make sure passengers above the age of 18 show proof of being fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or have a doctor’s certificate saying they recovered from Covid-19 not longer than 180 days before departure.
The Notam was supposed to take effect from 8am on Monday until midnight on January 31.
The Notam prompted Thai tour operators to cry foul, saying it was issued at short notice and it would affect tourists, especially those from China. The tour operators feared that Chinese tourists would have no time to prepare such documents and they would be disallowed to board their planes.
Anutin said the academic committee on communicable diseases of the Public Health Ministry had convened a meeting on Monday morning and agreed that most Thais have been vaccinated against Covid and foreigners have also acquired immunity up to a level.
The committee resolved that it would not be necessary for foreign tourists to show such documents upon arrival, as it would be inconvenient for them, Anutin added.
Anyway, tourists from countries that require them to take RT-PCR test before returning to their countries must buy health insurance for cover their own treatment if they test positive, so the Thai government would not have to shoulder the expense, Anutin said.
The minister said foreign tourists can receive free Covid vaccines at state hospitals on a voluntary basis.
The Public Health Ministry will later consult with private hospitals on how to collect expenses if a foreign tourist wanted to receive Covid vaccines at their places, Anutin said.
The minister added that Thai authorities would not test foreign tourists for Covid on a random basis.
“The arrival of foreign tourists bodes well for us. Their arrival will create income and jobs. If all Thais welcome foreign tourists and take good care of their own health, our country’s economy will recover very fast after being damaged by the pandemic for almost three years,” Anutin said.
Depa designs special e-tournament to spark creativity among Thai youngsters
MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023
Nongluck Ajanapanya
The Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) is hosting a special e-sports event to mark National Children’s Day as well as spark creativity among Gen Z.
The “National Children’s Esports Day” will take place on January 14. Thailand marks Children’s Day on the second Saturday of January every year.
Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, depa president and CEO, told the press on Monday that the goal of this event is to encourage creative and innovative use of digital content.
Depa also hopes the event will help carve a new career path for Thai youth, while also raising awareness of the role the gaming industry plays in the economy and society.
“We support the use of games for creative purposes as well as providing opportunities now and in the future for Thai children and youth,” Nuttapon said.
The e-sports tournament, featuring the stealth game Chambara and a digital version of badminton, will be held at Government House’s Santimaitree Building.
The Chambara game is for children aged between five and 10, while badminton will be for 11 to 15-year-olds. The games are available through Nintendo Switch Sports.
Both competitions will be divided into boys and girls categories and the number of participants per category will be limited to 16. The top 12 winners will receive scholarships and awards worth more than 50,000 baht, divided into 4,000 baht for the first-prize winners and prizes worth 2,000 baht and 1,000 baht for the runners-up. The prizes will be presented personally by the prime minister.
Apart from the e-tournament, depa will also host other fun activities for children on the day.
Thai beauty queen says no bias from new owner of Miss Universe
MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023
Thailand’s Miss Universe 2022 contestant has denied claims that new Thai ownership of the beauty-pageant brand would give her an unfair advantage in the competition.
Anna Sueangam-iam, 24, rejected the allegations during an interview in the US with pageant analyst Brian Javier on Sunday.
Anna is currently competing in New Orleans, where the 71st Miss Universe 2022 pageant will be held on Sunday, January 15.
Asked about her path to beauty-queen fame, Anna said she had dreamed of becoming Miss Universe since childhood.
She hoped that her journey would inspire others, especially children.
“I joined Miss Universe because I want students to know that no matter who you are born [to], who you are, you can have success in your life if you believe in yourself,” she said.
Anna explained to Javier that she had been dubbed “Miss Garbage” after growing up amid piles of rubbish as the child of Bangkok trash collectors.
But rather than taking the name as an insult, she said it was an inspiration as it proved that anyone can achieve success in life no matter how humble their beginnings are.
Asked to name the most difficult challenge she had faced so far in the Miss Universe contest, Anna said maintaining a positive mindset amid the pressure from Thai fans and others.
“In the morning, I tell myself every day, you can do it, you can do it,” she said, adding that she reminds herself not to look at comments or compare herself with other contestants but to believe in herself.
Asked about her first four days of Miss Universe 2022 activities, Anna said she had enjoyed her fashion shoot wearing Muba Cosmetics while also learning about the unique culture of New Orleans.
Javier then threw in a tough question, asking Anna whether the new Thai ownership of Miss Universe gave her an unfair advantage in the contest, as critics have claimed.
The Thai beauty queen dismissed the idea that judges would be biased towards her, saying that the new owner favouritism in the judging, saying that the new owner, JKN Global Group CEO Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip was a fair person.
“I will work hard and I believe in my power,” she said.
JKN acquired Miss Universe on October 25 for 800 million baht and announced plans for at least 40% growth for the brand as part of its drive to become a big player in the global content industry.
Trawler sinks in Gulf of Thailand sparking navigation warning
MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023
The Marine Department has warned that a fishing trawler that sank in the Gulf of Thailand on Saturday night presents a navigation hazard to other boats in the area.
The Por Thepranee 1 sank 18.23 nautical miles (33.76 kilometres) off the coast of Pak Phanang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, in stormy weather at around 8.30pm. All five crew onboard were rescued and brought safely ashore by marine police.
The trawler was overwhelmed by strong winds and high waves, prompting the Marine Dept to warn other boats to follow the latest weather updates, proceed with extra caution in the stormy weather, and consider staying ashore until conditions improve.
The department also ordered its Nakhon Si Thammarat office to salvage the wreckage as soon as possible as it present as it presents a navigation hazard to other vessels. The office is investigating the cause of the sinking.
On Sunday, the Thai Meteorological Department forecast that the strong northeast monsoon over the Gulf and the South will weaken from Monday to Saturday, while a low-pressure cell over the lower South China Sea will approach mainland Southeast Asia. These conditions will cause isolated heavy rain in the South, while waves in the Gulf will rise to 2-3 metres and higher in thundershowers.
Thailand’s new regulations keeping tourists away, say tour agencies
SUNDAY, JANUARY 08, 2023
The government’s new regulations for foreign arrivals is badly affecting the tourism industry, the Phuket Tourist Association’s chief said.
Phukmit Raktaengam said on Sunday that the latest 7-point Notice to Airmen (Notam) announced by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has caused many tourists to cancel their trips.
The CAAT regulations require airlines to check if all passengers have had at least two Covid-19 vaccines before letting them board flights to Thailand.
The Notam goes into effect at 8am on Monday and will run until midnight on January 31.
Phukmit Raktaengam
“These regulations affect tour operators as unvaccinated tourists have cancelled their trips to Thailand,” he said, adding that foreign tour agencies were also uncertain about the government’s moves.
He added that the association has submitted foreign tour operators’ suggestions to the government for consideration.
According to the association, tour agencies in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Russia have all said that the government has issued the regulations in too much of a rush.
Some operators complained that many tourists had cancelled their trips to Thailand, thus adversely affecting their business and Thailand’s tourism industry.
Blaze fanned by strong wind burns down 7 speed boats in Trat island
SUNDAY, JANUARY 08, 2023
Flames fanned by strong sea winds destroyed seven speed boats docked at a bay on Koh Mak in Trat on Saturday night.
Officials from Tambon Koh Mak Administrative Organisation and local villagers tried to put out the fire, but failed as flames engulfed the boats before they capsized.
Officials said no witnesses had seen which boat the fire had been sparked in, but the blaze spread quickly to the six others docked side by side at Thong Lang Bay.
Damages have been estimated at 20 million baht.
Koh Mak mayor Nol Suwatjananon said the sea was rough with strong winds and high waves, so the speed boats had to be docked. Nobody was injured in the fire.
He said he reported the fire to the Trat governor and sought help from the Royal Thai Navy to help ferry tourists back to Trat mainland. The tourists were on the island for a day trip and the remaining six speed boats were not enough to transport them.
Proof of full Covid vaccination required from tourists to Thailand
SUNDAY, JANUARY 08, 2023
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) on Sunday issued a set of new regulations for airlines, including checking whether all passengers have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Airlines will be required to comply with these new rules as part of the government’s measures to prevent a new wave of Covid-19 infections.
The 7-point Notice to Airmen (Notam) will go into effect from 8am on Monday to midnight January 31. The points are:
• Passengers above the age of 18 must show proof of being fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or a doctor’s certificate saying they recovered from Covid-19 no longer than 180 days. Those without vaccination must also provide a medical letter explaining why they were not vaccinated.
• Passengers heading to countries that prevent Covid-infected people from entering must have health insurance for Covid treatment throughout their stay in Thailand, plus seven days. Those visiting Thailand on official missions or are crew members of airlines can present certificates from their agencies or airlines.
• Passengers holding Thai passports are exempt from the vaccine and health insurance checks.
• Passengers taking transit flights are exempt from vaccination and health insurance checks but must comply with the rules of their destination country.
• Airlines can reject passengers who are unable to show the required documents before travelling to Thailand.
• Airlines are required to enforce universal preventive measures, including having passengers wear face masks throughout the flight, except while eating.
• Passengers with Covid-like symptoms must undergo a Covid test upon arrival.
CAAT has also released a list of 16 Covid vaccines that are accepted for entering Thailand as of January 6.
The accepted vaccines include one dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine, two doses of AstraZeneca, two doses of Moderna, two doses of Pfizer or three doses of Anhui Zhifei Logcom.
After China announced that it was lifting quarantine requirements for entry into the country from Sunday, the Thai Public Health Ministry has been looking into ways to safely welcome Chinese tourists. To prevent one nationality from being targeted, the ministry has resolved that all foreign arrivals will have to prove they have been vaccinated.
Tugboat capsizes in choppy Gulf of Thailand, all crew members rescued
SUNDAY, JANUARY 08, 2023
All crew members of the “PL Arthena” tugboat were rescued by Saturday afternoon after their vessel was knocked over by heavy waves in the early hours.
Crew of the oil tanker “Napapa” spotted the victims some 20 nautical miles (about 37 kilometres) off Koh Pha-ngan’s Rin Beach in Surat Thani at about 1.45pm. It took about an hour to pull everybody up.
The oil tanker’s crew then contacted the Royal Thai Navy to take the rescued sailors back to shore.
The victims were taken to Koh Samui Hospital for a check-up.
Pipat Kruekaew, captain of PL Arthena, said the tugboat had left Surat Thani at 2pm on Friday and was hit by 4-metre high waves and sank at around 4am on Saturday.
“We decided to abandon the boat as water filled the hull and brought the engine to a halt,” he said.
He added that all crew members were safe though some were tired after having been stuck on the sea for many hours.
Strong winds and isolated thundershowers made the Gulf of Thailand very choppy, with high waves since Friday.
Anyway, tourists from countries that require them to take RT-PCR test before returning to their countries must buy health insurance for cover their own treatment if they test positive, so the Thai government would not have to shoulder the expense, Anutin said.
The minister added that Thai authorities would not test foreign tourists for Covid on a random basis.
Phukmit Raktaengam
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