Makan in Thailand

[Mooose]

2 hours ago, steveluv said:

My bad 😂

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2124667/ccsa-blocks-todays-reopening

CCSA blocks today's reopening
published : 1 Jun 2021 at 04:00

Museums, beauty clinics, tattoo shops, nail salons and massage parlours remain close. (Bangkok Post file photo)

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has put the brakes on City Hall's plan to allow five types of businesses, including spas and beauty clinics, to reopen today.

The Facebook page of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said the CCSA had delayed the reopening by another 14 days.

However, it did not give any further details regarding the matter.

The abrupt order has raised speculation about the reason for the delay but observers said the Covid-19 situation in the capital was still worrying, so this was possibly the rationale behind the CCSA's caution.

The Bangkok Post yesterday attempted to contact CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin but he was not immediately available.

Earlier yesterday, the BMA's communicable diseases committee decided to allow several public places to reopen today following a drop in new cases, as long as they followed the government's strict Covid-19 guidelines.

Museums, beauty clinics, tattoo shops, nail salons and massage parlours were all due to reopen, albeit with strict limits on the number of visitors allowed.

However, saunas were not part of the easing proposal.

Public parks and gardens were also scheduled to reopen, with strict measures in place to prevent large crowds from gathering.

The BMA had stressed, however, that should any infections be found at the above venues, they would have to immediately close for a further 14 days.

They would also need to be thoroughly disinfected before being allowed to reopen.

However, other premises, such as night entertainment venues, karaoke bars and fitness centres, would have to remain shut until June 14, the BMA said.

Bangkok reported 1,356 new cases yesterday, most of which were centred around a residential camp for construction workers in Bang Na district and a local community in Sathon district.

Prior to the announcement, representatives of craft beer makers and massage parlour owners went to City Hall to submit a letter calling on the Bangkok governor to allow their businesses to reopen.

Their letter said the ban on serving alcohol and the order to shut dining establishments at 11pm have affected a lot of small businesses, including brewers, dealers and exporters, none of which have received any compensation for their hardship.

more and more differing and opposing views now, even between "allies" .. like the criticism and fighting over budget proposals to cut healthcare budget .. lets see how that goes ..

i can understand thats why people say they wish for clearer lines of communication - "unambiguious infomation" ..

indeed ..

[Mooose]

2 hours ago, steveluv said:

On Sunday I cooked traditional Chinese glutinous rice 古早味糯米饭.

 

Ingredient 

Steaming  

Sunday Lunch

yum yum .. bright spots in an otherwise gloomy environment ..

[steveluv]

Today’s Covid new cases.

New Cases
Thailand 2,353 ( +200 )
Prison 1,087 ( +1,010 )
———————————————-
Total 3,440 ( +1,210 )

Deaths 38 ( same )

[steveluv]

Someone send me this link to book for Moderna vaccine:

[steveluv]

Cooked brunch yesterday:

 

Brunch with sticky rice I cooked the day before

Vegetables soup

Tofu egg custard

[Mooose]

4 hours ago, steveluv said:

Cooked brunch yesterday:

 

Brunch with sticky rice I cooked the day before

Vegetables soup

Tofu egg custard

looks super delicious

[Mooose]

5 hours ago, steveluv said:

Someone send me this link to book for Moderna vaccine:

yes i also saw it today, was told its B2500 per shot so will be B5000 ..

at yet dont know wait time though .. or whether priority only for locals ..

[steveluv]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2125855/foreigners-get-jab-next-week

Foreigners get jab next week
Diplomats, consular workers 'go first'
PUBLISHED : 3 JUN 2021 AT 06:00
NEWSPAPER SECTION: NEWS, WRITER: PORAMET TANGSATHAPORN

The government has assured that all foreign nationals living in the kingdom who have registered for vaccination will start receiving the Covid-19 vaccine from next Monday.

Sophon Iamsirithaworn, Disease Control Department deputy director general, said on Wednesday that vaccination for all foreign diplomats in the country would be carried out the same day as the government's mass vaccination programme, based upon an advanced reservation system.

"Currently, we have started vaccinating diplomats and their families, and international organisations -- such as UN staff, in which they have registered in advance to get a vaccine from designated hospitals," Dr Sophon said.

According to Dr Sophon, all diplomatic staff, consular representatives and staff from international organisations in Thailand were required to register from June 1–6 via www.ThailandIntervac.com/diplomats.

The booking was required one day in advance of the jab date.

The jab would take place at MedPark Hospital and Vimut Hospital.

"For general foreigners, they can get the jab on the same day as Thais," Dr Sophon told an online forum titled "Briefing for Thailand Journalists on the National Vaccine Rollout".

"Emphasis should be given to the elderly and those who have seven underlying diseases."

The forum was co-hosted by the Public Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) to equip the media with vaccine scheme information so they work in sync with the government.

Dr Sophon went on to say that foreigners who want to get vaccinated are also required to register via www.ThailandIntervac.com. Those who have booked via the Mor Prom Application would get an AstraZeneca jab.

Dr Sophon said there would be more vaccines assigned to Bangkok than other provinces as the population in the capital is dense and the spread of Covid-19 still relatively high.

"There will be almost one million doses of AstraZeneca and Sinovac altogether assigned to Bangkok," Dr Sophon said.

"In the first two weeks, around five hundred thousand doses should be administered.

The government expects 61 million doses from AstraZeneca and around 10–15 million dozes from Sinovac.

The department is also negotiating with Pfizer to supply another 20 million doses and Johnson & Johnson for 5 million dozes of their vaccine, he said

[steveluv]

Today’s Covid new cases.

New Cases
Thailand 2,656 ( +303 )
Prison 1,230 ( +143 )
———————————————-
Total 4,886 ( +446 )

Deaths 39 ( +1 )

[steveluv]

Fried noodles for breakfast yesterday

 

 

Edited June 3, 2021 by steveluv

[steveluv]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2125747/astrazeneca-beginning-local-vaccine-deliveries

AstraZeneca beginning local vaccine deliveries
PUBLISHED : 2 JUN 2021 AT 16:16

Delivery trucks leave the Siam Bioscience factory in Nonthaburi's Bang Yai district. The company said it will begin supplying the government with its Covid-19 vaccine this week. (Photo: AstraZeneca/Siam Bioscience)

AstraZeneca and Siam Bioscience on Wednesday announced they were ready to start supplying the government with Covid-19 vaccine produced in Thailand.

The announcement said the vaccine made by Siam Bioscience would be supplied to the Public Health Ministry.

The amount to be supplied initially was not announced, only that deliveries were beginning this week.

"AstraZeneca will deliver the first locally produced vaccine doses to Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, in support of their mass vaccination programme," the statement said.

"Distribution to other Southeast Asian countries will commence in the coming weeks,"  

AstraZeneca and Siam Bioscienceheld a ceremony on Wednesday to mark the first release of the vaccine.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Tuesday that 6 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine would be delivered this month, with the first lot expected next Monday.

Edited June 3, 2021 by steveluv

[Mooose]

8 hours ago, steveluv said:

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2125747/astrazeneca-beginning-local-vaccine-deliveries

AstraZeneca beginning local vaccine deliveries
PUBLISHED : 2 JUN 2021 AT 16:16

Delivery trucks leave the Siam Bioscience factory in Nonthaburi's Bang Yai district. The company said it will begin supplying the government with its Covid-19 vaccine this week. (Photo: AstraZeneca/Siam Bioscience)

AstraZeneca and Siam Bioscience on Wednesday announced they were ready to start supplying the government with Covid-19 vaccine produced in Thailand.

The announcement said the vaccine made by Siam Bioscience would be supplied to the Public Health Ministry.

The amount to be supplied initially was not announced, only that deliveries were beginning this week.

"AstraZeneca will deliver the first locally produced vaccine doses to Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, in support of their mass vaccination programme," the statement said.

"Distribution to other Southeast Asian countries will commence in the coming weeks,"  

AstraZeneca and Siam Bioscienceheld a ceremony on Wednesday to mark the first release of the vaccine.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Tuesday that 6 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine would be delivered this month, with the first lot expected next Monday.

then why is chulabhorn cancelling appointments because they say they have no more allocation of SV or AZ stocks from public health ministry ..

something always not right ..

😑

[steveluv]

Today’s Covid new cases.

New Cases
Thailand 2,442 ( -214 )
Prison 189 ( -1,041 )
———————————————-
Total 2,631 ( -1,255 )

Dead 31 (  -8 )

Edited June 4, 2021 by steveluv

[Mooose]

10 minutes ago, steveluv said:

Today’s Covid new cases.

New Cases
Thailand 2,442 ( -214 )
Prison 189 ( -1,041 )
———————————————-
Total 2,631 ( -1,255 )

Dead 31 (  -8 )

numbers stubbornly high with no end in sight .. we need more people like thonburi to bring in alternatives quickly .. 

[steveluv]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-vaccines/Thai-king-owned-biotech-starts-production-of-AstraZeneca-vaccine?utm_campaign=RN Subscriber newsletter&utm_medium=coronavirus_newsletter&utm_source=NAR Newsletter&utm_content=article link&del_type=10&pub_date=20210604140000&seq_num=8&si=44594

Thai king-owned biotech starts production of AstraZeneca vaccine
Plans call for exports to other ASEAN countries as soon as next month

A picture of the Thai royals stands near a Siam Bioscience factory outside Bangkok.   © Reuters
MARIMI KISHIMOTO, Nikkei staff writerJune 4, 2021 02:17 JST

BANGKOK -- Siam Bioscience, a Thai drugmaker owned by the royal family, has started the country's first production of a COVID-19 vaccine, using AstraZeneca's technology.

The shots will be supplied for domestic use. Shipment volumes and other details have not been disclosed, but Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Tuesday that 6 million doses would be delivered this month, according to the Bangkok Post.

The government, which has faced criticism for delays in vaccinations, looks to start the rollout this month as new coronavirus infections surge. Plans also call for exporting the AstraZeneca doses to neighboring countries as early as next month.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn is a majority shareholder in Siam Bioscience, which gained exclusive rights to produce AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine in Thailand under a contract signed with the British drugmaker in November.

In May, AstraZeneca announced that vaccines manufactured in Thailand passed quality inspections at laboratories in Europe and the U.S. Siam Bioscience is the sole producer of AstraZeneca's vaccine in Southeast Asia, and the U.K. company said that shipments to neighboring nations "will commence in the coming weeks."

Community-acquired COVID-19 infections were declining in Thailand, but the number of new infections has risen sharply in recent weeks, partly because people returned to their hometowns for the Songkran holidays in April.

Thailand has had 169,348 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, with 1,146 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center. This compares with over 1.8 million cases and 51,095 deaths in Indonesia, Southeast Asia's hardest-hit country.
 

[Mooose]

steve, did you manage to register for vaccination at the hospital that has your personal medical records like what the spore embassy suggested?

9 hours ago, steveluv said:

Today’s Covid new cases.

New Cases
Thailand 2,442 ( -214 )
Prison 189 ( -1,041 )
———————————————-
Total 2,631 ( -1,255 )

Dead 31 (  -8 )

 

[steveluv]

1 hour ago, Mooose said:

steve, did you manage to register for vaccination at the hospital that has your personal medical records like what the spore embassy suggested?

 

Late April my Thai boss successfully booked the Moderna from a hospital for all 850 staff in the company but was told we will start the vaccination in Aug/Sep period. Worth the wait cos we all don't bloody trust anything CCP and local vaccine but this come with a very steep price to pay for the entire company and we are not looking at the "not over 3000 baht" price, its way more. Of course as a foreigner here my boss cover my wife’s vaccination too. Separately my Thai boss also booked for me and wife at Bumrungrad Hospital which we have e medial records there as you mentioned,  so for us it’s like which ever comes first. 

Two days ago on 2nd Jun THG made this announcement:

I send it to my maid immediately and told her to register with her LINE and also tell her family to register too. She said will wait for the free vaccine I told her to book Moderna immediately for everyone which she did.

[steveluv]

Last resorts? Phuket and Bali chase dream of COVID-free tourism
Plans for ring-fenced 'sandboxes' and 'green zones' to revive economies

MASAYUKI YUDA and SHOTARO TANI, Nikkei staff writersJune 4, 2021 05:00 JST

BANGKOK/JAKARTA -- Clear skies, emerald blue seas and white sandy beaches. Phuket's allure is obvious, as millions of foreign tourists have discovered. But today, the future of this Thai island in the Andaman Sea and the lives of its people are being shaped by the unseen but deadly coronavirus.

Saranya Injan manages Chean Vanich pier located in a small cove on the east coast of Phuket. The tourist boats and ferries that once churned almost ceaselessly through here now lie moored and quietly rocked by the tide.

"Phuket is so desolate right now. It's like a ghost town," said the 51-year-old.

Thailand's best-known resort and others like it across Southeast Asia have been brought to their knees by border control measures to contain the COVID-19 virus, shutting out the foreign tourists who were once the lifeblood of the local economy. Without them, businesses are slowly dying.

But if all goes well, from next month some may again welcome thousands of tourists in unusual -- and, some say, risky -- initiatives that aim to ring-fence island resorts and keep them COVID-free.

From July 1, Thailand is set to conduct a "sandbox experiment," using Phuket as a testing ground to welcome vaccinated foreign visitors with no quarantine period.

Phuket has become a "ghost town," says the manager of a pier where tourist boats are now idle.   © Getty Images

Meanwhile, the equally tourist-dependent Indonesian island of Bali -- where visitor numbers have also been decimated by border closures -- plans to designate three popular tourist areas as COVID-19 "green zones," which are able to reopen with strict hygiene protocols.

Coming at a time when the pandemic shows little sign of loosening its grip on the region -- indeed, cases are rising in many areas due to new flare-ups and variants -- some think the initiatives are a step too far. But the chance of making money again is strong.

"Some people are afraid of starving more than contracting the disease," said another Phuket pier operator.

On the face of it, Thailand's requirements to enter the "sandbox" are strict. Tourists must arrive on a direct flight from countries with low to medium infection risks. They must be fully vaccinated for at least 14 days before departure and show a negative test result within 72 hours of boarding their flights.

In return, they will be allowed to move freely in Phuket upon arrival. If a mandatory test on the fifth day of their stay is negative, they will be allowed a daytrip off the island.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects 129,000 foreign visitors in the first three months of the sandbox experiment, with long-haul markets the main target. If the experiment succeeds, vaccinated tourists in Phuket will be allowed to travel to places like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Krabi from October and travel freely around Thailand from 2022.

Most businesses are supportive and are getting ready. "We have prepared ourselves since the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Suphajee Suthumpun, CEO of Dusit Thani Group. "Most Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket hotel staff have been vaccinated ... furthermore, we have also asked all of our employees and their families to register for vaccination, to build confidence among customers and staff."

In mid-May, Central Phuket mall, operated by retail giant Central Pattana, became the first mall in Thailand to reach "herd immunity" level by inoculating 85% of staff. The Airline Association of Thailand started vaccinating 15,970 employees working for the country's seven airlines. AAT President and Bangkok Air CEO Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth said having airline employees vaccinated not only builds their confidence but also enhances the image of Thai tourism.

Delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in Phuket: Thailand wants to vaccinate 70% of Phuket residents before July.

Tourism and related businesses used to account for 20% of the Thai economy in pre-COVID times. But for Phuket, the proportion was almost 50%. Tourism will play a key role in reviving Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, which shrank 6.1% in 2020.

The Thai tourism industry has high hopes for the experiment. "The Phuket Tourism Sandbox has received a lot of interest from our international tourism alliances, who are looking forward to their vacations in Thailand again," hospitality operator Minor International told Nikkei.

But in contrast to excitement within the government and tourism industry, locals are voicing concerns.

"Many residents in Phuket not involved in the tourism industry are worried about contracting the virus from foreign visitors," said a 60-year-old working in education. "All who benefit from the reopening say Phuket is ready. I am not confident that Phuket is ready to open to foreigners."

The government aims to inoculate 70% of Phuket residents before July. Deputy Gov. Pichet Panapong asked city chiefs and village heads to make door-to-door visits to encourage people to get shots. But with several clusters emerging nationwide, a third coronavirus wave may make it difficult and contentious for authorities to allocate enough vaccines to the island.

Some businesses on the island survived by serving domestic visitors while foreign tourists were away. They are still skeptical about whether they can rely on the return of foreign tourists.

"Infections may deter domestic visitors from coming to the island," said a local Thai restaurant owner.

But Minor International says: "The revenue derived from Thai tourists alone is not enough for the industry to survive. This is why it is vital that the country reopens to international tourists as soon as possible."

The Thai tourism industry has high hopes that the Phuket "sandbox" experiment will revive the visitor economy.   © Reuters

In Bali -- 10 times bigger and more populous than Phuket -- many locals are also desperate for tourists to return.

A 90-minute drive from the island's Ngurah Rai International Airport lies Ubud, an area of deep forests and lush rice terraces that offers tourists a diversion from Bali's nightclubs. But visitors nowadays are few because of the countrywide ban on foreign tourists.

"Right now, Ubud is dead," said Kadek Merhajaya, manager at Hujan Locale, a restaurant there.

Indonesia is less dependent than Thailand on tourism, which contributed 5.7% to gross domestic product in 2019. But Bali is much more reliant on visitors and its economy has been decimated by the pandemic. Its GDP contraction of 9.3% in 2020 was the deepest among Indonesia's 34 provinces. Hotel occupancy rates have hovered around 10%.

Figures from February showed 657,000 workers, or 19% of the island's working-age population affected by the pandemic in some way, including being laid off. Officials have said that at the height of the pandemic, the province was losing 9.7 trillion rupiah ($680 million) each month.

But light may soon be at the end of the tunnel with two big drives to bring people to Bali.

The first is the "Work from Bali" program to send up to 8,000 Jakarta-based civil servants to the island. "This is part of the government's efforts to create demand so that hotels and restaurants in Bali can survive," Odo Manuhutu, deputy for tourism and creative economy at the minister's office, told reporters in late May.

Some workers at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy have already begun working from Bali, said its minister Sandiaga Uno in early June. "But this is only a trigger and we hope other institutions including the private sector and education can participate so that the hotel occupancy rate can reach 30%."

Then comes foreign tourism. The intent is to designate Ubud and two other popular tourist areas -- Sanur and part of Badung, in the island's south -- as COVID-19 "green zones" able to reopen with stricter hygiene protocols. As part of the plans, the government aims to inoculate 2.8 million Bali residents aged 18 or older -- or over 60% of the island's population -- by the end of June.

As in Thailand, tourists will also likely face strict health requirements, including full vaccination before arrival and five-day self-quarantine at designated hotels, while an app to track each visitor is rumored close to being launched.

Government officials have stressed that any reopening is contingent upon coronavirus cases being suppressed -- something Bali seems close to achieving, with daily new cases on a downward trend after peaking in late January.

The province accounts for around 2.6% of cumulative confirmed cases, but now only accounts for 0.7% of active cases. Bali is also the most vaccinated province in Indonesia: 31% of the population has had at least one dose and almost 15% has had two doses.

Many residents and business owners support the green zone plans. "It makes sense to trial the green zones in Bali," said Christia Permata Dharmawan, director at Kebon Vintage Cars, a museum and entertainment venue in East Denpasar, "so that tourists are not afraid to come here, and that they feel we welcome them with open arms. It's important they can trust Bali."

Bangla Walking Street in Phuket in April: Businesses on the island want to bring back visitors.   © Getty Images

But some experts remain skeptical. "There can be no such thing as a 'green zone' in the way it's being touted in Bali," said Dicky Budiman, global health security researcher at Griffith University in Australia. "The moment you open the door to a newcomer, the community is no longer safe because you will introduce a new variant. Bali's green zones are simply not feasible."

Gusti Ngurah Mahardika, a virus expert at Udayana University in Bali, said: "I think it's almost impossible to open only three areas to tourists as a green zone, as populations in these areas are dynamic. People are coming in and out all of the time." What the government should be considering, said Mahardika, "is making all of Bali a green zone ... so we can really open our borders safely. Bali is a small island, why can't they manage it?"

In both Bali and Phuket, businesses that have overcome previous crises -- such as the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and subsequent tsunami, or the 2002 Bali bombing -- hope next month can mark the start of their latest revival.

"We can make a comeback. Our past experiences showed us," said Saranya of Chean Vanich.

Boongyong Nuananong, a 57-year-old who runs a seafood restaurant at Rawai beach at the southern tip of Phuket, said the time was right for the island to move on.

"Even if infections persist, we have to adapt to live with it," he said. "If we are too afraid, we cannot make a living."

Additional reporting by Ian Lloyd Neubauer in Bali