Jonathan Fairfield

Anutin Charnvirakul. Reuters file photo. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has said Sinovac is not inferior to other vaccines, adding that all vaccines save lives. Mr Anutin's comments came after it was revealed last week that he would require a fourth booster shot in order to attend a World Health Organization meeting in Switzerland later this month. Mr Anutin first received two doses of Sinovac in February, as well as a third booster of AstraZeneca. However, it has now been revealed that he would need a fourth booster shot if he was to visit Switzerland. Mr Anutin said that the reason for a fourth booster shot was not because Sinovac is somehow inferior to other vaccines. But rather was needed in order to meet entry requirements for Switzerland. He said that the issue is due to Switzerland, and other countries, not yet allowing quarantine free entry for people who have been vaccinated with Sinovac or Sinopharm. He also said that Switzerland, as well as some other countries, do not yet recognise the so-called mix and match vaccination policy which has been implemented by the Thai government. Because of this, Thailand may now be forced to rethink its vaccination strategy, he conceded. He added that people who have been vaccinated with Sinovac and Sinopharm may need to get an additional mRNA vaccine if they need to travel overseas. According to the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, people who have been vaccinated with either Sinovac and Sinopharm can enter the country. However, they are unable to apply for a Swiss COVID certificate. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2021-11-14 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Drivers of smoke emitting vehicles face fines of up to 6,000 THB Image: Sanook Drivers of vehicles in Thailand that emit black smoke face fines of up to 6,000 THB and could also have their licenses revoked. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239381-drivers-of-smoke-emitting-vehicles-face-fines-of-up-to-6000-thb/

Image: Sanook Drivers of vehicles in Thailand that emit black smoke face fines of up to 6,000 THB and could also have their licenses revoked. The Pollution Control Department (PCD), along with the police and Department of Land Transport said they will aggressively target drivers of cars emitting black smoke by imposing the maximum punishment in accordance with Thai law. The move is aimed at reducing PM2.5 air pollution by up to 25 percent. The PCD says that predominantly diesel vehicles are responsible for emitting black smoke. PCD chief Attaporn Charoenchansa said that his department had already checked 25,000 vehicle in Thailand since the start of the year. However, only 100 drivers had been ordered to take their vehicles off the road until the engines were fixed in order to not emit smoke. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2021-11-14 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Thailand: International Tourism May Take Years To Recover – Analysis By Murray Hunter With nearly 20 percent of Thailand’s pre-Covid crisis GDP related to tourism, the partial reopening of country’s borders on November 1 to international tourism was a risky move aimed at turning around the economy. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239378-thailand-international-tourism-may-take-years-to-recover-–-analysis/

By Murray Hunter With nearly 20 percent of Thailand’s pre-Covid crisis GDP related to tourism, the partial reopening of country’s borders on November 1 to international tourism was a risky move aimed at turning around the economy. There has been a whole range of guesstimates made by the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) about how many tourists will visit Thailand in 2021 and 2022, that have been optimistically predicted. However, these have been based more on hope than the reality of an unpredictable tourism environment because of surging worldwide Covid-19 cases and corresponding border restrictions across much of the world. The partial opening of borders to visitors from 63 countries, comes at a time when bars, entertainment businesses remain closed across the country, and restaurants in most parts of the country are not allowed to serve liquor with meals. The supposedly quarantine free entry for fully vaccinated foreign visitors, has been found not to be completely true as visitors are required to stay in isolation up to 30 hours in hotel quarantine, until their Covid test results come through. There is a host of paperwork and procedures required to enter Thailand, which include full vaccination certificates, a pre-paid hotel booking, USD 50,000 health insurance policy covering Covid-19 and the Thailand Pass, applied for online. The Thailand Pass website has been criticized by applicants for glitches and approval delays. As on November 4, some 50,000 applications were made, with 12,607 approvals. Full story: https://www.eurasiareview.com/13112021-thailand-international-tourism-may-take-years-to-recover-analysis/ -- Eurasia Review 2021-11-13

Emirates to restart A380 Bangkok operations DUBAI: Emirates has announced that its flagship A380 service will return to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport from November 28. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239377-emirates-to-restart-a380-bangkok-operations/

DUBAI: Emirates has announced that its flagship A380 service will return to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport from November 28. The aircraft upgrade will help Emirates to meet strong passenger demand for inbound travel into the popular holiday destination, on the heels of Thailand’s re-opening to international tourists who are vaccinated. The daily A380 flights will operate as EK372/373, adding much-needed capacity and frequency to its flights to Bangkok, in response to the uptick in travel demand that the airline is witnessing, said Emirates. The iconic Emirates A380 aircraft to serve the route will offer seats in First Class, Business Class and Economy Class. Full story: https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1003412 -- GDN Online

Scoot to launch non stop flights from Bangkok to London Gatwick Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA) that was recently named the World’s Best Long-Haul Low-Cost Airline, celebrates yet another milestone with the announcement of a new non-stop service between Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and London’s Gatwick Airport. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239376-scoot-to-launch-non-stop-flights-from-bangkok-to-london-gatwick/

Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA) that was recently named the World’s Best Long-Haul Low-Cost Airline, celebrates yet another milestone with the announcement of a new non-stop service between Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and London’s Gatwick Airport. Scoot’s entry on this popular leisure route comes hot on the heels of the borders reopening between the United Kingdom (UK) and Thailand, enabling travel without quarantine at either end. Scoot currently offers the only low-cost direct flights between the UK and Thailand. The new service will commence with flights from 16 December 2021 and will be followed by three-time weekly scheduled seasonal services from March 2022, with a further review and potential increase in frequency based on demand and regulatory approval. All services will be operated by Scoot’s widebody Boeing 787 Dreamliners offering both Economy and ScootPlus cabins, sporting features such as inflight Wi-Fi, and the ability to upgrade to Scoot Plus or to Scoot-in-Silence – Scoot’s offering of a quiet-zone. To celebrate the launch, Scoot has released attractive fares to London starting from THB5,500 one-way on Economy, and THB9,900 on ScootPlus (including taxes). Mr. Campbell Wilson, Scoot’s Chief Executive Officer, said “The progressive relaxation of border restrictions presents new opportunities for airlines and travelers alike. Scoot is excited to add flights between Bangkok and Gatwick to our network, offering our unique combination of great value and great experience with a touch of Scootitude. Scoot empowers travelers to customize their flight experience as they prefer, whether it be with extra legroom, checked baggage, 10kg free cabin baggage allowance, inflight Wi-Fi, tasty meals, Scoot-in-Silence or just enjoy an unbeatable airfare. With Gatwick being a 30-minute rail journey to central London, and Bangkok the main city and travel hub of Thailand, there’s no better opportunity to reignite your wanderlust with Scoot’s new service.” Scoot was the first low-cost carrier in the world to be awarded the highest health safety ratings by Skytrax and APEX/SimpliFlying for its measures to ensure the health and safety of passengers and crew, and the first low-cost carrier in the world to operate flights with fully-vaccinated crew. Scoot delivers further peace of mind by offering customers the flexibility of a free one-time date change . With the addition of London, Scoot will serve over 30 destinations in December 2021 as it progressively builds back to its pre-COVID coverage of 68 cities. Flight Schedule for Singapore-Bangkok-London* services (16 – 27 December 2021) Sector Flight No. Departure Arrival Frequency Singapore (SIN) – Bangkok (BKK) TR750 1135 1305 Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday Bangkok (BKK) – London (LGW) TR750 1405 2005 Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday London (LGW) – Bangkok (BKK) TR751 2205 1610 (+1) Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday Bangkok (BKK) – Singapore (SIN) TR751 1710 2045 Monday, Wednesday, Friday Flight Schedule for London-Bangkok-Singapore* services (29 – 30 December 2021) Sector Flight No. Departure Arrival London (LGW) – Bangkok (BKK) TR751 2205 29 December 2021 1610 (+1) 30 December 2021 Bangkok (BKK) – Singapore (SIN) TR751 1710 30 December 2021 2045 30 December 2021 Flight Schedule for Singapore-Bangkok-London* (Effective 22 March 2022, two times weekly service) Sector Flight No. Departure Arrival Frequency Singapore (SIN) – Bangkok (BKK) TR750 1135 1305 Tuesday, Thursday Bangkok (BKK) – London (LGW) TR750 1405 2005 Tuesday, Thursday London (LGW) – Bangkok (BKK) TR751 2205 1610 (+1) Tuesday, Thursday Bangkok (BKK) – Singapore (SIN) TR751 1710 2045 Wednesday, Friday Flight Schedule for Singapore-Bangkok-London* (Effective 27 March 2022, three times weekly service) Sector Flight No. Departure Arrival Frequency Singapore (SIN) – Bangkok (BKK) TR750 1200 1330 Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday Bangkok (BKK) – London (LGW) TR750 1430 2005 Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday London (LGW) – Bangkok (BKK) TR751 2205 1610 (+1) Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday Bangkok (BKK) – Singapore (SIN) TR751 1705 2035 Monday, Wednesday, Friday *All times listed in local. Schedules are subject to changes and regulatory approval.

Pattaya City continues to schedule more events and festivals, with a total of fourteen in November and December so far Pattaya City leaders have scheduled a total of fourteen events so far in November and December aimed at attracting domestic tourism and helping the local economy. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239375-pattaya-city-continues-to-schedule-more-events-and-festivals-with-a-total-of-fourteen-in-november-and-december-so-far/

Pattaya City leaders have scheduled a total of fourteen events so far in November and December aimed at attracting domestic tourism and helping the local economy. Two of these have already taken place, here is the list. There are also some events not from Pattaya City being planned as well. 1. Pattaya Music Festival 2021 Week 1 on November 5th to November 6th on Pattaya Beach-completed 2. AFF Beach Soccer Festival Pattaya 2021 from November 7th to November 11th on North Pattaya Beach-completed 3. Pattaya Music Festival 2021 Week 2 on November 12th to November 13th on Jomtien Beach and on November 13th on Koh Larn-ongoing 4. Pattaya Loy Krathong Festival on November 19th at Pattaya beach 5. Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships from November 17th to November 22nd at Royal Garden Plaza Pattaya 6. Jet Ski Pro Tour – Thailand 2021 on November 20th to November 21st on Jomtien beach (No fans will be allowed in the stadium area.) 7. Pattaya Fireworks Festival on November 26th to November 27th at Pattaya beach Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/11/13/pattaya-city-continues-to-schedule-more-events-and-festivals-with-a-total-of-fourteen-in-november-and-december-so-far/ -- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2021-11-14 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Two people arrested with loaded firearms, 12 suspected drunk drivers arrested near Pattaya Music Festival Pattaya City Police arrested two men with two guns and 26 bullets, and 12 drivers who were over the legal alcohol limit near the Pattaya Music festival last night. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239374-two-people-arrested-with-loaded-firearms-12-suspected-drunk-drivers-arrested-near-pattaya-music-festival/

Pattaya City Police arrested two men with two guns and 26 bullets, and 12 drivers who were over the legal alcohol limit near the Pattaya Music festival last night. Last night (November 12th) Pattaya City Police patrolled around the Pattaya Music Festival area on Jomtien Beach near the night market and set up multiple checkpoints. Police also conducted random searches of vehicles to make sure people were safe during the festival. The stepped-up security followed an incident which we reported here, earlier in the week, in which a young man discharged a firearm on Pattaya Beach Road in a fit of anger after a reportedly woman asked him to stop recording a video on the beach. Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/11/13/two-people-arrested-with-loaded-firearms-12-suspected-drunk-drivers-arrested-near-pattaya-music-festival-last-night/ -- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2021-11-14 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Chonburi warns everyone who went to a “gentlemen’s club” in Jomtien recently to take a Covid-19 ATK test The Chonburi Public Health Office today (November 13th) has released a warning to inform EVERYONE who went to a club recently in Jomtien to take an ATK test. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239373-chonburi-warns-everyone-who-went-to-a-“gentlemen’s-club”-in-jomtien-recently-to-take-a-covid-19-atk-test/

The Chonburi Public Health Office today (November 13th) has released a warning to inform EVERYONE who went to a club recently in Jomtien to take an ATK test. EVERYONE who visited the Jade Gentlemen’s Club (Jade House) in the Jomtien Nivete housing estate in Nongprue sub-district from November 6th to November 12th, 2021, please take a Covid-19 ATK test. TPN media notes that, legally, all bars and nightclubs are closed, however, the venue may have been operating as a restaurant. That was not immediately made clear by the notice, although the Ministry of Public Health has previously made it clear that they only are concerned about health issues and that those present at the venue should not fear any legal action if reporting Covid-19 related concerns. Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/11/13/chonburi-warns-everyone-who-went-to-a-gentlemens-club-in-jomtien-recently-to-take-a-covid-19-atk-test/ -- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2021-11-14 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Suspect easily gets 600,000 baht in Chonburi bank robbery A suspect easily got 600,000 baht after robbing a bank in Phan Thong yesterday (November 12th). Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239372-suspect-easily-gets-600000-baht-in-chonburi-bank-robbery/

A suspect easily got 600,000 baht after robbing a bank in Phan Thong yesterday (November 12th). The Phan Thong Police was notified of the incident in the afternoon at a bank in the Baan Gao sub-district. One of the bank staffers told police the suspect entered the bank normally like other customers. He wrote on a paper that he handed to a teller saying ‘Do not talk to anyone. I have a gun. Give me four million baht. If you talk to anyone you will die.’ The bank staffer grabbed some money, about 600,000 baht, before giving it to the suspect. The suspect put the money into his bag without counting the cash before going out as normal within five minutes. Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/11/13/suspect-easily-gets-600000-baht-in-chonburi-bank-robbery/ -- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2021-11-14 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Thailand Live Sunday 14 Nov: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239371-thailand-live-sunday-14-nov-2021/

MRTA moves forward with Phuket light rail PHUKET: The Mass Rapid Transport Authority (MRTA) kept the ‘Phuket Mass Transit System’ project moving forward with a public meeting held in Phuket Town yesterday (Nov 12) to gain feedback from local residents about the project. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239332-mrta-moves-forward-with-phuket-light-rail/

Travellers stranded after flood submerges highway and railway in Chumphon province Hundreds of train and bus passengers were stranded in Thailand’s Chumphon province on Friday night, after road and train communications were disrupted by flooding, following heavy rain and resulting runoffs which flooded the railway and the Asian highway, the main artery from Bangkok to the southern provinces. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239304-travellers-stranded-after-flood-submerges-highway-and-railway-in-chumphon-province/

Thailand’s air traffic increases 25% during the first ten days of November Air traffic in and over Thailand, during the ten days following the reopening of the country to foreign arrivals on November 1st, was 25% percent higher than in October, averaging 990 flights a day, including overflights, according to Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Company (Aerothai). Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239329-thailand’s-air-traffic-increases-25-during-the-first-ten-days-of-november/

Suspected hacker of Constitutional Court homepage arrested in Ubon Ratchathani Police from Thailand’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) arrested a man at a house in Warin Chamrab district of the north-eastern province of Ubon Ratchathani today, for allegedly hacking the homepage of the Constitutional Court on Wednesday. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239330-suspected-hacker-of-constitutional-court-homepage-arrested-in-ubon-ratchathani/

Governor to present ‘Phuket Health Smart City’ plan to Cabinet Governor Narong said he will present his plan to the Cabinet on Tuesday (Nov 16). Photo: Radio Thailand Phuket PHUKET: Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew has announced that he will present two main projects under the ‘Phuket Health Smart City’ plan at the mobile Cabinet meeting to be held in Krabi next week. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239333-governor-to-present-‘phuket-health-smart-city’-plan-to-cabinet/

Governor Narong said he will present his plan to the Cabinet on Tuesday (Nov 16). Photo: Radio Thailand Phuket PHUKET: Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew has announced that he will present two main projects under the ‘Phuket Health Smart City’ plan at the mobile Cabinet meeting to be held in Krabi next week. The aim is to help drive the development of the island into an international centre for the medical, health and wellness industries, Governor Narong explained. The projects will be presented to the Cabinet on Tuesday (Nov 16), he said. The first project to be presented will be the “Phuket Health Sandbox” plan, aimed at developing Phuket into a “City Connecting People through Global Health”, Governor Narong added. Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/governor-to-present-phuket-health-smart-city-plan-to-cabinet-82017.php -- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-11-13 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

MRTA moves forward with Phuket light rail PHUKET: The Mass Rapid Transport Authority (MRTA) kept the ‘Phuket Mass Transit System’ project moving forward with a public meeting held in Phuket Town yesterday (Nov 12) to gain feedback from local residents about the project. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239332-mrta-moves-forward-with-phuket-light-rail/