The Finance Ministry is assessing the impact of Omicron on the overall economy and cannot say right now how much it will affect business because the ministry has to wait for an assessment from the Public Health Ministry, Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said on Thursday.
“You have heard that the Bank of Thailand has announced a reduction in its 2022 GDP target from 3.9 per cent to 3.4 per cent because they feel the impact of Omicron could be at a severe level [if it is widespread].
“For us, the Finance Ministry, we must also assess how severe the impact would be. Will it be worse than the Delta outbreak?” Arkhom said.
As for progress in approving measures to promote the use of electric vehicles, a Cabinet meeting next week is not scheduled to consider the matter. Regarding the money that would be used to support the cost of purchasing EVs, the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council will consider the sum that should be prepared,” he added.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index closed at 1,641.47 on Thursday, up 14.68 points or 0.90 per cent. Transactions totalled 67.59 billion baht with an index high of 1,645.71 and a low of 1,632.90.
The index gained for the third consecutive day after rising by 0.28 per cent on Wednesday and 0.40 per cent on Tuesday.
The 10 stocks with the highest trade value today were ADVANC, WFX, SCB, EA, TRUE, PTT, GULF, KBANK, GPSC and SCGP.
Other Asian indices were on the rise:
Japan’s Nikkei Index closed at 28,798.37, up 236.16 points or 0.83 per cent.
China’s Shanghai SE Composite closed at 3,643.34, up 20.72 points or 0.57 per cent, while the Shenzhen SE Component closed at 14,863.93, up 72.60 points or 0.49 per cent.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed at 23,193.64, up 91.31 points or 0.40 per cent.
South Korea’s KOSPI Index closed at 2,998.17, up 13.69 points or 0.46 per cent.
Taiwan’s TAIEX Index closed at 17,946.66, up 119.83 points or 0.67 per cent.
The price of gold rose by THB100 in morning trade on Thursday.
A9.27am report from the Gold Traders Association showed the buying price of gold bar at THB28,600 per baht weight and selling price at THB28,700, while the buying and selling price of gold ornaments is THB28,091.48 and THB29,200, respectively.
At close on Wednesday, the buying price of gold bar was THB28,500 per baht weight and selling price THB28,600, while gold ornaments were THB27,985.36 and THB29,100, respectively.
The spot gold price on Thursday morning was hovering around US$1,806 (THB60,736) per ounce after Comex gold at close on Wednesday surged by $13.5, reached the $1,800 level to $1,802.2 per ounce due to support from the depreciation of the US dollar, including buying gold as a safe-haven asset amid concerns over the Omicron Covid-19 outbreaks.
The price of gold in Hong Kong, meanwhile, rose sharply by HK$170 to $16,790 (THB72,344) per tael, the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society reported.
Ministry of Public Health reported on Friday (December 24) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 2,671 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 58 of whom have been found in prisons.
Death toll increased by 27, while 2,766 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.
Cumulative cases in the country are at 2,204,672 with 21,528 total deaths.
The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Friday (December 24) that the weak high-pressure system covers upper Thailand. Cool to cold weather and morning fog are likely in the North, the Northeast, the Central and the East with an increase in temperature by 1-3 °C.
The southeasterly wind prevails over the lower Northeast and the East and brings isolated rains to the areas. People should take care of their health due to variable weather. All transports should take more caution due to poor visibility.
Meanwhile, the weak northeast monsoon prevails across the Gulf and the South, causing less rains in the South. Waves in the Gulf are about a meter high and 1-2 meters high during thundershowers. All ships should proceed with caution and keep off thundershowers.
The department also mentioned that during December 26-30, the rather strong high-pressure system from China will extend to cover upper Thailand and bring isolated thundershowers and a decrease in temperature by 2-5 °C in the Northeast, the North, the Central and the East.
The weather forecast for the next 24 hours is as follows:
North: Cool to cold weather with fog in the morning; temperature lows of 14-17 degrees and highs of 28-35 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 6-15 degrees Celsius.
Northeast: Cool to cold weather with fog in the morning and isolated rains in 10 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 15-21 degrees and highs of 31-32 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 9-16 degrees Celsius.
Central: Cool weather with fog in the morning; temperature lows of 19-21 degrees, highs of 33-35 degrees Celsius.
East: Cool weather with fog in the morning and isolated rains in 10 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees, highs of 30-35 degrees Celsius; waves less than a meter high and 1 meter offshore.
South (east coast): Cool weather in the morning with thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 21-25 degrees, highs of 30-33 degrees Celsius; waves a meter high and 1-2 meters during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 22-24 degrees, highs of 31-35 degrees Celsius; waves a meter high and 1-2 meters during thundershowers.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Cool weather with fog in the morning; temperature lows of 21-23 degrees, highs of 33-35 degrees Celsius.
The Culture Ministry aims to ask Unesco to list Thai cannabis as an “intangible cultural heritage” as people from all regions use it like a herb while the Thai breed has become popular abroad, Dr Kwanchai Wisitthanon, deputy director-general of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, said on Thursday.
“If Unesco registers Thai cannabis as sort of a world heritage, known as an ‘intangible cultural heritage’, it will help spread the reputation of using cannabis for health and one that originates from Thailand,” Kwanchai said.
It is similar to cooperation between the Culture Ministry and the Public Health Ministry getting Thai massage registered as an intangible cultural heritage in 2019, he said.
As a first step, 30 species of Thai cannabis will be listed as a “National Wisdom Heritage” of Thailand. It is expected that the Culture Ministry will then proceed with the registration by March 2022 and subsequently apply for a Unesco listing in 2023.
Around 400 public pedestal drinking water fountains have been found to be in a deteriorating condition because of lack of maintenance, not meeting the objectives of a project from the very beginning, causing obstruction on pavements and affecting the scenery of the city and are therefore being demolished, Bangkoks deputy governor Sakolthee Phatthiyakul said on Thursday after inspecting the demolition of a drinking water fountain on Rama VI Road.
The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) had demolished the water platform and all its accessories since November 22 and restored the sidewalk to its original state.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will now take over maintenance and reform the pavement to its best condition – a task expected to be completed in 90 days.
Sakolthee said the drinking water pedestal project had been in operation since 1999 courtesy of the MWA in cooperation with the BMA and the private sector to improve the quality of life for Bangkokians.
Bangkok Governor Pol General Asawin Kwanmuang has ordered agencies to cancel state festival events including the New Year countdown at city square.
Deputy governor Kriengyot Sudlapa said Asawin made the decision according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration guidelines for New Year events slated on December 31 and January 1 after the World Health Organisation called on countries to cancel some holiday plans for the safety of their citizens as the Omicron variant was spreading significantly faster than Delta.
As of December 22, Thailand had more than 100 suspected Omicron cases, with 27 having already been confirmed.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has sought cooperation from the private sector wishing to organise New Year countdowns by asking it to strictly abide by safety measures, including having a Covid-Free Setting, screening and cleaning of premises, implementing social distancing and providing a quarantine facility for infected people, etc.
Participants must be vaccinated or produce a negative ATK test result taken not more than 72 hours before events.
New Year countdown organisers are also being asked to reduce the number of attendees.
More information can be got at the Department of Health or district offices.
“I ask Bangkokians for your cooperation to refrain from entering risky or crowded areas to control and prevent the risk of infection according to government policies,” Kriengyot added.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) temporarily suspended the Test & Go scheme on Tuesday as Covid-19 cases among foreigners visiting Thailand had risen, Public Health Commission vice chairman Dr Chalermchai Boonyaleephan said on Thursday.
In a post on the Blockdit platform, he said Thailand had reopened on November 1 as the number of Covid-19 infections declined after hitting the highest point during the August 13-18 period due to the Delta strain.
He said the Test & Go scheme went well until the World Health Organisation announced on November 26 that the latest Covid-19 variant, Omicron, was a variant of concern.
“After that, Omicron has spread to almost 100 countries and Covid-19 cases in many nations have skyrocketed, so we have had to reconsider our screening methods,” he explained.
Chalermchai said Covid-19 cases among foreigners visiting Thailand in the first half of December was 1.7 times higher than in November.
Of these, virus cases among foreign visitors under the Test & Go scheme have increased by 1.9 times, and by 1.1 per cent among foreigners entering via the Sandbox scheme.
He said the CCSA’s move to temporarily suspend the Test & Go programme was a good decision as patients infected with Omicron developed mild or no symptoms and would test negative the first time.
“Therefore, we must wait for the CCSA to re-evaluate Covid-19 preventive measures to deal with the Omicron variant,” he added.
Data collected worldwide on the Covid-19 Omicron variant until December 23 indicates that it is less severe than Delta, which still makes up the majority of cases in Thailand, Public Health permanent secretary Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit said on Thursday.
“The Omicron variant can be transmitted more quickly than Delta, but fewer Omicron patients have developed severe symptoms or died,” he said.
“Take England, for example, which has reported more than 10,000 Omicron cases with only 12 mortalities, or just 0.12 per cent.”
The Imperial College London earlier this week published a study which found that those infected by Omicron in England were 15 to 20 per cent less likely to go to an emergency room with severe symptoms and 40 per cent less likely to be hospitalised overnight, when compared with those infected by Delta.
Kiattiphum said the Public Health Ministry is confident that Thailand’s health system will be able to handle the situation if Omicron were to spread widely in the country.
“When the Delta variant hit Thailand [in May 2021] we had only a 20-30 per cent vaccination rate while there were inadequate beds available for suspect patients at field hospitals,” he noted.
“Now, more than 63 per cent of the population have received two doses of vaccination, and we have established an efficient home and community isolation system where suspect patients can safely monitor their symptoms without the risk of spreading the virus to their family members,” Kiattiphum said.
“The ministry continues to closely monitor the Omicron situation both globally and in Thailand. The Department of Disease Control has been tasked with estimating scenarios of Omicron outbreaks in Thailand while adding recent factors such as the vaccination rate,” Kiattiphum revealed.
“We expect the evaluation of scenarios to be completed by December 27, when it will be presented at a ministry press conference,” he added.
SootinClaimon.Com 