Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai met with US Senator Tammy Duckworth on Tuesday to thank the Congresswoman for helping push the donation of one million more doses of Pfizer vaccine to Thailand, and to exchange views on important issues including cooperation on tackling climate change.
The discussions took place on Tuesday, during Don’s trip to New York for the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The meeting came after the Thai government was accused of going slow on processing the relevant documentation, reportedly delaying the US Covid-19 vaccine donation.
The incident caused both countries’ embassies to ask the US government to clarify whether the US side had not yet at that time cleared the documentation and the donation.
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The Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson then announced on Thursday that Minister Don would discuss the issue with Senator Tammy in person at the White House.
Don thanks US Senator Tammy for coordinating vaccine donation
At the meeting, Don thanked the Congresswoman for coordinating the donation of an additional one million vaccine doses, bringing the total donation of the Pfizer vaccine to 2.5 million doses. Don and Tammy also discussed guidelines for promoting cooperation on climate change, as Thailand will host the APEC summit in 2022.
They also discussed cooperation on reviving the economy and strengthening supply chain stability, besides exchanging views on promoting free trade.
Daily Covid-19 infections are now showing a downward trend thanks to lockdown measures and should drop to around 5,000 people per day before the end of October, Public Health permanent secretary Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit said on Tuesday.
“The number of severe cases that require respirators have also declined to about 3,000 per day, from 4,000 to 5,000 in previous weeks,” he said.
“The reason for this is due to the increased vaccination rate that helps prevent against severe symptoms.”
Kiattiphum said that currently about 50 per cent of Thais have received their first jabs while 25 per cent have been fully vaccinated.
“We expect this ratio to increase to 60 per cent and 50 per cent, respectively, by the end of October, and then to 80 per cent and 70 per cent by December, which is the vaccination target to achieve herd immunity,” he said.
“If we can keep up this trend, it is estimated that by around March 2022 the outbreak will be at a fairly controllable level and people can continue their daily lives almost similar to the normal situation in the past, but they still need to wear face masks in public,” Kiattiphum pointed out.
“These are just mathematically based estimations. There are still factors that could cause a spike in daily infections, such as emergence of new clusters, a new mutated variant, and people letting their guard down after lockdown measures are lifted,” he added.
On Wednesday morning the ministry reported 10,414 new infections in the past 24 hours and an additional 122 deaths.
Ministry of Public Health reported on Wednesday (September 29) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 10,414 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 178 of whom have been found in prisons.
Death toll increased by 122, while 11,580 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.
Cumulative cases in the country are at 1,591,829 with 16,620 total deaths.
A cabinet meeting on Tuesday approved the extension of Special Tourist Visas (STV) for another year or until September 30, 2022, said deputy government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul.
The move had been proposed by the Tourism and Sports Ministry to attract foreign tourists with high purchasing power who wish to stay in Thailand from 90 days to 270 in a bid to revive the tourism industry that has been hammered by the Covid-19 crisis.
Cabinet okays extension of Special Tourist Visa for another year
The ministry reported that in the past year 5,609 foreign tourists applied for the STV, generating an estimated income of Bt1.24 billion for the economy. Most of the long-stay tourists are from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain and Croatia.
The average visiting period of STV holders are 90 days, while the most visited provinces after quarantine are Bangkok, Surat Thani, Phuket, Udon Thani, Chonburi, Chiang Mai and Rayong.
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The Special Tourist Visa was first approved on October 1, 2020.
Applicants must be from a Covid-19 low-risk country and must undergo alternate state quarantine in hospitals or hotels for at least 14 days before embarking on travel in Thailand.
Easterly and southeasterly winds prevail over Thailand while a weak southwest monsoon lies over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, resulting in less rain across the country, the Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.
The department advised all ships in the Andaman Sea to proceed with caution and keep away from areas experiencing thundershowers as waves are about 1-2 metres high and over 2 metres in areas with thundershowers.
Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 25-26 degrees, highs of 33-34 degrees Celsius.
North: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees and highs of 32-35 degrees Celsius.
Northeast: Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees and highs of 34-35 degrees Celsius.
Central: Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 23-26 degrees, highs of 32-35 degrees Celsius.
East: Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 24-25 degrees, highs of 33-35 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (east coast): Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 24-25 degrees, highs of 32-35 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 20-25 degrees, highs of 33-34 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 metres high and over 2 metres during thundershowers.
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved immediate registration of undocumented migrant workers in a bid to curb further outbreaks of Covid-19.
The move means foreign workers who do not have work permits can be registered quickly so they are covered by disease controls.
Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin explained that the Covid-19 infection rate remained high in industrial areas of Bangkok and surrounding provinces.
The large number of undocumented migrant workers in these areas triggered a high risk of outbreaks.
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The Labour Ministry had therefore proposed guidelines for managing workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
Under the Cabinet-approved proposal, employers of unregistered migrant workers are required to register them with work permits. The move will enable authorities to keep tabs on migrant workers so as to strengthen disease controls.
In a bid to encourage investment in electric vehicles (EV), the Industry Ministry is joining hands with Siam Cement Group (SCG) to boost the use of EVs in the industrial sector.
The ministry is also in the process of inviting other large companies like PTT and Thai Beverage to promote the use of EVs to create domestic demand and attract more investment.
SCG will gradually start replacing its fleet of trucks and buses with electric vehicles as part of its aim to become 100 per cent electrified by 2035.
The price of a pack of cigarettes is expected to rise 6-8 baht from next month after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting approved the new tobacco tax structure.
The new tax will be effective from October 1 (Friday), according to Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith.
On September 30, the Excise Department will check stocks of cigarettes in tobacco factories and import warehouses to combat hoarding that seeks to exploit the old tax rate. All cigarettes in stock will be subject to the new tariffs from October 1.
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Since 2017, two tax rates have been imposed on cigarettes: 20 per cent for packs priced Bt60 or less, and 40 per cent for packs over Bt60. The Excise Department has not yet said whether the new structure will be a single or double rate, only that the tax will be higher.
Bangkok– The Healthcare Accreditation Institute (Public Organization); the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University; the Thai Oncology Nurse Society; the Infusion Nurse Network of Thailand; B.Braun (Thailand) Ltd.; and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH joined forces to present the accomplishments of the “Improving Occupational Safety and Health of Healthcare Workers in Public Hospital in Thailand” project at the recent project conclusion meeting.
Overall results show that the project has successfully produced manuals and guidelines on occupational safety for healthcare personnel and also enhanced the capacity of 998 healthcare personnel through various training courses.
Thailand and Germany announce the success on improving safety standard for healthcare personnel in Thailand
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Throughout the 4 years of implementation, the project has strengthened safety among healthcare personnel through 4 training areas: 1) hand hygiene of healthcare professionals; 2) safe infusion therapy; 3) safety in oncology therapy; and 4) strengthening capacity building of the senior hospital management on healthcare personnel safety. All have served to enhance the knowledge of healthcare personnel and encouraged the hospitals’ senior management to support a safety policy. Fourteen of the total 17 pilot hospitals participating in the project have successfully put the policy into practice through the implementation of projects and measures to promote safety in various fields in the hospital.
Thailand and Germany announce the success on improving safety standard for healthcare personnel in Thailand
Besides the training, the project also developed manuals and guidelines for personnel safety, namely, the Guidelines for Needlestick Injury Prevention, the Guidelines and Recommendations for Safety in Oncology Therapy and the Hand Hygiene Technical Reference Manual. These manuals and guidelines will be used for training healthcare personnel and distributed to hospitals across Thailand.
Thailand and Germany announce the success on improving safety standard for healthcare personnel in Thailand
Mr. German Mueller, Project Director from GIZ said: “GIZ is very pleased and proud that the project has been able to improve the safety of healthcare personnel in Thailand. We never expected that there would be a pandemic during the implementation, but then COVID-19 emerged as a serious health threat. The project came at the right time because we had trained more than 200 healthcare personnel from around 70 hospitals on hand hygiene before the outbreak hit Thailand. Hopefully, those who were trained could use the knowledge and skills to protect themselves from COVID-19. In addition, the project has also strengthened the capacity of 93 healthcare personnel to be trainers who can help transfer the knowledge on occupational safety to their colleagues and networks. We hope that the knowledge and products that the project has contributed will be passed on and help healthcare personnel work safely. GIZ is looking forward to another opportunity to help support Thailand’s medical and public health works in the future.”
“B. Braun (Thailand) Ltd. remains committed to protecting and improving the safety of healthcare personnel by being a Solution Partner in improving the quality of medical services as well as sharing expertise and training to enhance the capacity of healthcare personnel. B. Braun, which now in its 32nd year in Thailand is committed to being a local partner and is well-positioned to act as a link between the medical diplomacy of Germany and Thailand. We are happy that the successful implementation of the project will enable hospitals to save costs and improve their efficiency for safer and sustainable healthcare services in Thailand. Furthermore, B. Braun has joined with GIZ and the Hospital Accreditation Institute (Public Organization) in supporting the safety of healthcare personnel during this latest wave of COVID-19 by donating 157,500 bottles of alcohol-based hand sanitizer to 62 hospitals in the red zones in May and August this year. We have also developed e-learning modules on hand hygiene targeting healthcare personnel and village health volunteers and underprivileged farmer communities in Ubon Ratchathani, Roi Et, Surin and Suphan Buri provinces,” Mr. Sayan Roy, Managing Director of B. Braun (Thailand) Ltd. added.
Thailand and Germany announce the success on improving safety standard for healthcare personnel in Thailand
Dr. Piyawan Limpanyalert MD, Deputy CEO of the Hospital Accreditation Institute (Public Organization), HAI, said: “For sustainability and upscaling of the project’s achievements, the HAI has initiated a system for reporting incidents and clinical risks called the National Reporting and Learning System, which includes reporting on hand washing among healthcare personnel as well as incident reports related to infusion therapy and chemotherapy. There are more than 700 hospitals across the country reporting to this system. HAI also emphasizes the safety of health personnel in terms of infection from their work, which is set to be an important and necessary standard for safety. In the current situation, healthcare personnel are at the highest risk of being infected through droplet transmission of COVID-19. Therefore, the safety of healthcare personnel in the COVID-19 era should be pushed further in any future cooperation. HAI believes that change and cooperation will lead to creating sustainability in the future.”
Mrs. Jintanarak Somsakulchai, head of chemotherapy ward, Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital, who attended the training for trainers course on chemotherapy safety, discussed the benefits received from the project, saying: “We have gained new skills and knowledge from experts and experienced trainers as well as learned about international standards that can be applied to the working context in Thailand. In addition, the approach of involving the hospital executives in listening and taking part in activities has resulted in better understanding and support from the executives on the provision of complete sets of protective equipment for chemotherapy according to international standards. This contributes to improvement of personnel safety and healthcare workers feel more confident in their operations and practices. Moreover, the availability of guidelines with international standards for healthcare personnel to follow will help enhance the quality of healthcare services in the hospitals as well as improve the safety of patients and healthcare personnel. This is consistent with the Patient and Personnel Safety: 2P Safety policy as well.”
Nearly three months ago, Thailand launched its pilot programme to reopen selected destinations to vaccinated foreign tourists without quarantine.
The trial reopening began in Phuket on July 1, followed by three resort islands of Surat Thani on July 15.
Under the “Phuket Sandbox” programme, foreigners who can verify they have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and test negative can fly into the province and move around freely without having to quarantine. After staying in Phuket for 14 days and testing negative again, they can travel to other provinces.
Surat Thani’s “Samui Plus Model” allows vaccinated foreign tourists to travel on sealed routes to Koh Samui, Koh Pha-ngan and Koh Tao if they spend the first seven days in an Alternative Local State Quarantine (ALQ) hotel and undergo tests as required.
The Samui Plus Model links with the island-hopping scheme called “7+7 Phuket Extension”, in which visitors who spend 7 days on Phuket and still test negative can travel to tourist islands in Surat Thani, Krabi and Phang Nga provinces for seven days. This campaign launched on August 16.
However, the tourism sandboxes have received a lukewarm response from foreigners. From July 1 to September 26, the Phuket Sandbox has recorded over 37,000 foreign visitors, less than half of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ target of 100,000 visitors in the first three months.
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Meanwhile, Samui Plus logged only 900 visitors in more than two months up to September 26, significantly lower than the 1,000 visitors per month targeted by the province’s tourism association.
Krungthep Turakij newspaper gathered opinions from the tourism-related public and private sectors as to why the sandbox programmes failed and how to improve them to successfully restore the Covid-ravaged tourism industry:
Why Thailand’s tourism sandbox programmes failed
The escalating Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand
The emergence of the fourth wave of Covid-19 in April which pushed up daily cases to over 20,000 prompted many countries to raise their warning level for travel to Thailand. United States’ Centers for Disease Control on August 9 warned its citizens that Thailand poses the highest risk (level 4) for Covid-19. Then, on August 26 the United Kingdom placed Thailand on its Red List, forcing returnees from Thailand to the UK to spend 10 days in a state quarantine facility at their own expense of around 2,230 pounds or THB100,000. These factors are likely a major contributor to the failure of sandbox programmes since tourists tend to avoid countries with high infection risk.
Delayed vaccine distribution
For a province to join the sandbox programme, at least 70 per cent of its populace must have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to achieve herd immunity. However, the government’s tardiness in distributing vaccines to tourism provinces delayed their plans to reopen, which also rendered the existing programmes less attractive as fewer tourism destinations were available. So far, five provinces – Bangkok, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Phetchaburi – have been forced to delay reopening from October 1 to November 1 because their vaccination rate is still too low.
Different SOPs cause confusion
Each province under the sandbox programme has its own standard operating procedure (SOP) that foreign tourists must follow before entering and while staying in the destination. Details of these SOPs differ from province to province, which may confuse tourists as to which regulations they have to follow and where. Many parties propose that all areas under sandbox programmes should employ the same SOP for uniformity and simplicity, which would help attract more foreign tourists.
Mandatory RT-PCR testing is too expensive
Many foreign visitors have complained that the required RT-PCR Covid-19 tests upon arrival, during their stay and to enter other provinces cost too much. Foreigners are charged 8,000 baht for three RT-PCR tests – more than twice as much as Thai nationals, who pay 800-1,200 baht per test.
14 days in quarantine is too long
Tourism operators have suggested reducing the required 14-day quarantine for foreign visitors to 10 or 7 days to attract tourists who want to travel beyond the pilot provinces, thereby expanding the target groups of sandbox programmes. On September 23, the National Communicable Disease Committee responded by asking the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to reduce the quarantine requirement to 7-10 days under these conditions:
– Mandatory quarantine reduced to 7 days for those who have been fully vaccinated and test negative via the RT-PCR method upon arrival and when they leave the ALQ hotel.
– Mandatory quarantine reduced to 10 days for those who have been vaccinated with one dose and tested negative via RT-PCR method upon arrival and when they leave the ALQ hotel.
– Mandatory quarantine remains at 14 days for foreign tourists who have no vaccination certificate. They also need to test negative via the RT-PCR method upon arrival and when they leave the ALQ hotel.
Don thanks US Senator Tammy for coordinating vaccine donation
Don thanks US Senator Tammy for coordinating vaccine donation
Cabinet okays extension of Special Tourist Visa for another year
Thailand and Germany announce the success on improving safety standard for healthcare personnel in Thailand
Thailand and Germany announce the success on improving safety standard for healthcare personnel in Thailand
Thailand and Germany announce the success on improving safety standard for healthcare personnel in Thailand
Thailand and Germany announce the success on improving safety standard for healthcare personnel in Thailand
Why Thailand’s tourism sandbox programmes failed
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