rooster59
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By Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Nilufar Rizki
Armed police officers stand guard along a closed road following an explosion outside a Catholic church in Makassar, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia, March 28, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer
JAKARTA (Reuters) - A suspected suicide bomber blew up outside a Catholic church in the Indonesian city of Makassar on Sunday, wounding some people on the first day of the Easter Holy Week, police and a witness said.
The congregation had been inside the church on the island of Sulawesi at the time of the explosion, South Sulawesi police spokesman E. Zulpan told Reuters. He said it was unclear whether body parts at the scene were only from the attacker.
Father Wilhemus Tulak, a priest at the church, told Indonesian media that the suspected bomber tried to enter the church grounds on a motorbike, but had been stopped by a security guard. Ten people had been wounded in total, some of them seriously, he said.
Security camera footage showed a blast that blew flame, smoke and debris into the middle of the road.
Police did not say who might be responsible for the apparent attack and there was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Police blamed the Islamic State-inspired Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) group for suicide attacks in 2018 on churches and a police post in the city of Surabaya that killed over 30 people.
Makassar, Sulawesi's biggest city, reflects the religious makeup of Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country with a substantial Christian minority and followers of other religions.
Gomar Gultom, head of the Indonesian Council of Churches, described the attack as a "cruel incident" as Christians were celebrating Palm Sunday, and urged people to remain calm and trust the authorities.
Indonesia's deadliest Islamist militant attack took place on the tourist island of Bali in 2002, when bombers killed 202 people, most of them foreign tourists.
In subsequent years, security forces in Indonesia scored some major successes in tackling militancy, but more recently there has been a resurgence of militant violence.
Makassar Mayor Danny Pomanto said Sunday's blast could have caused far more casualties if it had taken place at the church's main gate instead of a side entrance.
(Additional reporting by Stanley Widianto; Writing by Fransiska Nangoy; Editing by Matthew Tostevin and Stephen Coates)
-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-28-
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The week that was in Thailand news: Making the best of a bad job defines who we are
Reading some people’s inane posts on Facebook they seem to have the perfect life.
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Reading some people’s inane posts on Facebook they seem to have the perfect life.
Their pictures of dinner always seem to have come out perfectly, the children are exemplary at school and wow, they just finished a tricky jigsaw puzzle in time to post that perfect pint down at the pub with the ever smiling wife with whom they have the ideal marriage, the envy of their massive circle of friends.
I’m sick of it.
I never thought that the good times were what defined our lives, but what we did to overcome the bad, what we accomplished putting strife behind and moving on despite the adversity.
To wit, no story this week impressed me more than that of 25 year old Kusama Nakthong-in in the sub-district of Bua Khao in Kalasin.
She was getting married last Saturday and was busy putting the final touches to her bridal gown as relatives prepared for the wedding at her house.
Then a short circuit caused a fire upstairs and soon the whole building was engulfed. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt though the house was destroyed.
Kusama brushed herself down and instead of feeling sorry for herself took everyone over to her groom’s place ten kilometers away where she married Kasama.
Yes, there were tears and yes, there was a Facebook post. But that was a thoughtful one thanking other people and warning about overloading electrical systems at one’s house.
If anyone epitomized the English expression “making the best of a bad job” it was this fine young lady. She’s a keeper Kasama - I hope you have a fantastic life together and can laugh about the loss of the house one day.
Forum reaction was fairly typical. Banging on about Thai electrics rather than praising the fortitude of the bride and her family. Or worse still making jokes about the “jao sao” looking “hot”. One poster - in Oxfordshire - just said that the house was not destroyed.
Thanks for all that.
“Kensawadee” took one poster to task in a nice post though to be fair to “Colinneil” - a severely disabled Englishman and former Thaivisa poster of the year - he has also bravely made the best of a bad job after a devastating motorcycle accident several years ago.
What surprised me a little about the Daily News story about the fire was they did not specifically comment on the ages of the married couple or the day they got married.
Perhaps this was the former teacher of Thai culture in Rooster coming out, but they are both 25 and it is a central theme of cultural beliefs in Thailand that at this age - called benjaphaet - something life changing is bound to happen!
For years whenever I have met anyone who is 25 I have asked them if anything earth shattering has happened so far this year! It always elicits conversation and a smile.
The day of weddings - though often subject to scrutiny of calendars for auspicious astrological signs, are often held on Fridays because the sound (if not the spelling) of Wan SUK indicates happiness.
Funerals are more likely to be held on Saturdays as Wan SAO sounds more like the Thai word for sadness even if the tonal value is different. Though only some Thais follow this one.
Also making the best of a bad job, the Thai government blundered on with attempts to reopen their country to foreign tourism and roll out the vaccines this week.
Tourism minister Pipat spoke of pilot “sandbox” projects in Phuket, Pattaya and then Chiang Mai with the southern island receiving the first vaccinated tourists in July.
He has promised quarantine will end for the vaxxed though they will have to remain within a stone’s throw of their hotel for seven days in, say, Pattaya before being allowed out to somewhere decent like Bangkok. (Much also depends on how many people in the tourism industry can be jabbed and how quickly).
No tourists would be allowed to sneak out, we were told, that caused many on the forum to get in a predictable lather for no reason whatsoever.
Lather also rose when Thaivisa wrote a headline that said a man died after being vaccinated. Some on Facebook called for TV to be reported to Mark Zuckerberg.
No folks, he did die after taking the vaccine but - if you bother to actually read the story as few actually can or bother to do - you would have seen it had nothing to do with the jab.
It was some gastric embolism that was destined to happen anyway. Some more sensible posters accepted that it was important to report on the story for the sake of transparency.
Head Health Honcho Anutin said that he had been in contact with “many countries” about forming travel bubbles but when asked who they were he wouldn’t say. I’m convinced if you asked this creature what he had for breakfast you wouldn’t get a straight answer!
Meanwhile Big Too was all concerned for his twin daughters who have been bullied online. Cyberbullying is a bad thing, as a police spokesman explained, but it would have sounded better if Prayuth had mentioned the seven year old child shot dead by his KKK (Khaki Klad Klan) pals in Myanmar.
The lack of condemnation coming from the Thai government is deafening and utterly embarrassing.
Finance minister Arkhom caused Rooster to glance over to check that it was not April 1st already with his assertion that 40 million tourists would be beating a path to Thailand’s door by 2024.
I have this very strong feeling that even when the leashes are off, even though people who have kept their jobs have huge amounts of saved income to spend, that recovery from the pandemic will be very slow and very painful. I feel very pessimistic but feel it is realistic.
Further tourism fodder came in the form of stories about the TAT promoting Chiang Mai to “quality” tourists from India and the country becoming a “wellness hub” and cannabis retreat.
Thailand has more hub(cap)s than a Scouser with a screwdriver on a Saturday afternoon in Liverpool.
In international news the devastating floods in Australia continued. In Russia Putin got his vaccination but his macho personality meant he didn’t make a song and dance about it.
The British government - looking every bit like a totalitarian state - threatened 5,000 sob fines if you so much as took a foreign holiday. Spats between them and the EU over vaccine continued.
Stateside, Uncle Joe held his first press conference in a while though Fox still managed to blast him for doing so. How they must miss the LOTUS who thankfully is mostly off my TV screen these days.
In Colorado ten people were shot at a grocery store and more calls were made for gun control. Talk about wasting your breath.
Back in Thailand there was a great deal of horrific crime this week.
In an area where I have a house in Sam Khok, Pathum Thani, a pump attendant was slashed to death over a 40 baht non-payment of fuel.
In the north east an abusive husband murdered his wife, stuffed her in a sack and threw her all trussed up in a pond.
In Lamphun, a wife killed her husband with a breeze block then told everyone at the grocery store she had murdered him.
No one believed her as she had cried wolf once too often.
In Buriram a mother was charged with assault after she went to a primary school and attacked her child’s P1 friend over some medicine going missing. The phu yai ban made excuses for her.
At a police station a cop shot his wife multiple times after chasing her inside then turned the gun on himself. She survived and he didn’t so there was a semblance of justice there.
A “Superpoll” suggested that Thais were overwhelmingly in favor of the country opening to foreign tourism. I would be very wary of these polls - the sample sizes are not the problem, it’s who and what they ask.
New ministers were announced principally for the positions of Education and Digital Economy and Society, the latter being akin to Orwell’s Ministry of Truth.
Twenty five people will face charges or summons in the death of “pretty” Wawa at a drinks party last month. An autopsy revealed she had meth, ecstasy, diazepam and ketamine in her system. Hiso’s beware!
A Thai tycoon said he was on the lookout for failing hotels. Posters called him a vulture - don’t they have any idea of what business is? And don’t they realize that one of the best times to make money is in a crisis! Rhetorical questions as the Thaivisa school of business acumen is on permanent hols.
In Bangkok the international motor show at Muang Thong Thani began on Wednesday and is worth a visit to ogle the pretties, the cars and especially the motorbikes!
The latter featured in many stories this week about road safety and the fact there are now 21 million bikes on the Thai roads, more than twice the number of cars. One story said that 10 million riders don’t wear helmets and that one dies every 35 minutes.
Another story laid the blame for motorcycle fatalities firmly at the door of the riders themselves. Many are poorly trained, if trained at all, and don’t know how to handle a motorbike in an emergency situation, don’t have the most basic skills or even roadworthy bikes.
In Minburi, a macaque called Godzilla was taken away from a luuk chin stall owner who had kept him chained up. Manop, who bawled his pathetic eyes out, said Godzilla was like a son to him and denied that passers-by threw him scraps (Godzilla, not Manop). The monkey weighed in at 20 kilos when he should have been eight.
Please call the parks’ department on 1362 when you see cretins like Manop with wild animals that should be in trees not chains.
Top hoot of the week concerned a watermelon seller who was fined 500 baht for offending public morals after a woman in a yellow bikini showed off her melons at his roadside stall.
He was only helping a mate out who promised to pay the fine but hundreds turned up to ogle and, thankfully, get their hands on a few of his melons.
Finally, it was announced this week that the popular Hard Rock Cafe in Siam Square will shut at the end of the month.
The previous day I was going stir crazy at home and told Mrs R that I had to get out to Gullivers to have a few beers and a chicken pie. No problem she said as I headed off at 5.30pm.
Gullivers was shut “temporarily” so I went to my old hunting ground of “The Old Dutch” on the corner of Soi Cowboy and Soi 23 for a schnitzel.
It was now an empty go-go bar.
Everywhere was either closed, boarded up or half deserted so I had a ham Subway for 89 baht and was home by 7.30 pm to put the kids to bed.
This is not the Bangkok I remember from my misspent youth!
Rooster
-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-03-28-
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One dead, multiple wounded in stabbing at Vancouver-area library, suspect in custody
By Jennifer Gauthier
Police personnel respond to a crime scene at the Lynn Valley Main Library, where police said multiple people were stabbed by a suspect who was later taken into custody, in the Lynn Valley neighbourhood of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada March 27, 2021. REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier
NORTH VANCOUVER, Canada (Reuters) - One person is dead and multiple others were wounded in a stabbing at a public library in an affluent Vancouver suburb on Saturday, and a suspect, who apparently acted alone, was taken into custody.
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By Jennifer Gauthier
Police personnel respond to a crime scene at the Lynn Valley Main Library, where police said multiple people were stabbed by a suspect who was later taken into custody, in the Lynn Valley neighbourhood of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada March 27, 2021. REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier
NORTH VANCOUVER, Canada (Reuters) - One person is dead and multiple others were wounded in a stabbing at a public library in an affluent Vancouver suburb on Saturday, and a suspect, who apparently acted alone, was taken into custody.
Canada's Global News reported one death, citing homicide police, who were not immediately available to confirm. No details were provided.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said "multiple victims" were stabbed inside and outside the North Vancouver Library and that one suspect was in custody.
It "appears this was a lone suspect," the RCMP said on Twitter, adding that it was still looking for "potential additional victims."
Amy Robertson of B.C. Emergency Health Services said six people were taken to the hospital and that she was unable to release details on their condition, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC) reported earlier.
"We were driving up ... and there was a woman right beside her car with a 7-year-old boy, multiple stab wounds and bleeding profusely ... She said it was a random stabber who was running down the street," a witness who gave his name as Steve told Canada's Global News.
North Vancouver is a mostly quiet and wealthy suburb with about 85,000 people on the north side of Burrard Inlet, Vancouver's primary port. In 2019, North Vancouver was ranked 10th on Maclean's magazine list of the richest Canadian communities with an average household net worth of nearly C$2 million.
Two bridges and a foot ferry connect North Vancouver to the city of Vancouver. North Vancouver is also a popular destination for hiking and skiing, with part of the North Shore mountain range within its boundaries.
(Reporting by Steve Scherer; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Cynthia Osterman)
-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-28-
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Philippines to reimpose stricter COVID-19 curbs in capital
FILE PHOTO: A view shows a makeshift barrier set up on a street of a village under lockdown amid rising coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections, in Manila, Philippines, March 12, 2021. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez
MANILA (Reuters) - Manila and nearby provinces will return to stricter quarantine measures from Monday, a senior official said on Saturday, as the Philippines battles to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases that has strained hospitals.
Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1211677-philippines-to-reimpose-stricter-covid-19-curbs-in-capital/
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FILE PHOTO: A view shows a makeshift barrier set up on a street of a village under lockdown amid rising coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections, in Manila, Philippines, March 12, 2021. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez
MANILA (Reuters) - Manila and nearby provinces will return to stricter quarantine measures from Monday, a senior official said on Saturday, as the Philippines battles to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases that has strained hospitals.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the measures, which will be in place until April 4, will ban non-essential movement, mass gatherings, dining in restaurants. They represent a further tightening of curbs imposed on March 22.
Roque said the government will intensify tracing and conduct house-to-house visits to search for people with COVID-19 symptoms. There will also be a "heightened presence" of police and military personnel to enforce protocols, he added.
The health ministry on Saturday reported 9,595 new coronavirus cases, marking the second straight day the daily jump in infections remained above 9,000.
The capital region, a congested urban sprawl of 16 cities that is home to at least 13 million people, has accounted for more than two-fifths of the country's more than 712,000 COVID-19 cases. There have been more than 13,000 deaths nationwide.
Authorities attribute the spike in infections to the more transmissible new coronavirus variants like those first identified in South Africa and Britain. Both have been detected in the Philippines.
Roque told a media briefing that the threat was drastic and warranted a "drastic response", adding the tighter measures will give health workers breathing space as hospitals in the capital near critical capacity.
Lockdowns have taken a huge toll on the Philippine economy, which contracted by a record 9.5% last year. Roque said the government timed the reimposition of tougher curbs during the week ahead of Easter - so the impact on the economy will be less severe as many businesses will be closed anyway during Holy Week celebrations.
Public transport will be allowed to operate on a limited capacity, and movement of essential goods can continue unimpeded, he said.
(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Alex Richardson and Frances Kerry)
-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-28 -
Indonesia sees vaccination slowdown as India delays shipments
By Agustinus Beo Da Costa
FILE PHOTO: A woman receives a dose of AstraZeneca coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine during a mass vaccination program for Green Zone Tourism in Sanur, Bali, Indonesia, March 23, 2021. REUTERS/Nyimas Laula
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia expects a slowdown in COVID-19 inoculations next month as India delays shipments of AstraZeneca vaccines, its health minister said on Saturday.
Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1211676-indonesia-sees-vaccination-slowdown-as-india-delays-shipments/
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By Agustinus Beo Da Costa
FILE PHOTO: A woman receives a dose of AstraZeneca coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine during a mass vaccination program for Green Zone Tourism in Sanur, Bali, Indonesia, March 23, 2021. REUTERS/Nyimas Laula
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia expects a slowdown in COVID-19 inoculations next month as India delays shipments of AstraZeneca vaccines, its health minister said on Saturday.
India has put a temporary hold on all major exports of the AstraZeneca coronavirus shot made by Serum Institute of India (SII), prioritising domestic demand as infections rise, Reuters reported earlier this week.
India's move will affect supplies to the GAVI/WHO-backed global COVAX vaccine-sharing facility, through which 64 lower-income countries including Indonesia are supposed to get doses from SII.
Indonesia, which is suffering one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Asia, was scheduled to receive 2.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX programme on March 22 and 7.8 million doses next month, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told a media briefing.
"This definitely will affect (the vaccination process) because in April we only have around 7 million doses from Sinovac," Budi said, referring to the Chinese maker of rival vaccines which has also been supplying Indonesia.
As Indonesia is injecting around 500,000 doses per day, the supply for April will be used within around two weeks, he added.
Indonesia had received 1.1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine at the start of the month and had started their rollout this week.
Southeast Asia's biggest country launched its immunisation programme in January and aims to reach 181.5 million people within a year.
As of Saturday, roughly 3.2 million people had been fully vaccinated, official data showed. Some 1.49 million people have been infected in Indonesia since the start of the pandemic and more than 40,000 killed.
"We are still lobbying GAVI in the hope of securing even a small number of doses from AstraZeneca in April," Budi said.
He said GAVI, an alliance of countries, companies and charities that promotes vaccination, had indicated to the government that shipments may resume in May but this was not yet certain.
(Reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa; Writing by Fransiska Nangoy; Editing by David Holmes)
-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-28 -
Myanmar security forces kill over 100 protesters in 'horrifying' day of bloodshed
A man stands behind a barricade during a protest against the military coup, in Yangon, Myanmar March 27, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer
(Reuters) - Myanmar security forces killed 114 people, including some children, in a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters on Saturday, the bloodiest day of violence since last month's military coup, news reports and witnesses said.
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A man stands behind a barricade during a protest against the military coup, in Yangon, Myanmar March 27, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer
(Reuters) - Myanmar security forces killed 114 people, including some children, in a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters on Saturday, the bloodiest day of violence since last month's military coup, news reports and witnesses said.
The killings, which took place on Armed Forces Day, drew strong renewed criticism from Western countries. British Ambassador Dan Chugg said the security forces had "disgraced themselves" and the U.S. envoy called the violence horrifying.
Military jets also launched air strikes on a village in territory controlled by an armed group from the Karen ethnic minority and at least two people were killed, a civil society group said.
Earlier, the Karen National Union said it had overrun an army post near the Thai border, killing 10 people - including a lieutenant colonel - and losing one of its own fighters as tensions with the military surged after years of relative peace.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the junta leader, said during a parade to mark Armed Forces Day that the military would protect the people and strive for democracy.
Demonstrators turned out on Saturday in Yangon, Mandalay and other towns, as they have done almost daily since the Feb. 1 coup that ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Myanmar Now news portal said 114 people were killed across the country in crackdowns on the protests.
At least 40 people, including a 13-year-old girl, were killed in Mandalay, and at least 27 people were killed in Yangon, Myanmar Now said. A boy as young as five was earlier reported among the dead in Mandalay but there were conflicting reports later that he may have survived. Another 13-year-old was among the dead in the central Sagaing region.
"Today is a day of shame for the armed forces," Dr. Sasa, a spokesman for CRPH, an anti-junta group set up by deposed lawmakers, told an online forum.
A military spokesman did not respond to calls seeking comment on the killings by security forces, the air strikes or the insurgent attack on its post.
"They are killing us like birds or chickens, even in our homes," said Thu Ya Zaw in the central town of Myingyan, where at least two protesters were killed. "We will keep protesting regardless... We must fight until the junta falls."
The deaths on Saturday would take the number of civilians reported killed since the coup to over 440.
'TERROR AND DISHONOUR'
U.S. Ambassador Thomas Vajda said on social media: "This bloodshed is horrifying," adding "Myanmar’s people have spoken clearly: they do not want to live under military rule".
British foreign minister Dominic Raab said the killing of unarmed civilians and children marked a new low, while the EU delegation to Myanmar said Saturday would "forever stay engraved as a day of terror and dishonour."
News reports said there were deaths in Sagaing, Lashio in the east, in the Bago region, near Yangon, and elsewhere. A one-year-old baby was hit in the eye with a rubber bullet.
Min Aung Hlaing, speaking at the parade in the capital Naypyitaw, reiterated a promise to hold elections, without giving any time-frame.
"The army seeks to join hands with the entire nation to safeguard democracy," he said in a live broadcast on state television. "Violent acts that affect stability and security in order to make demands are inappropriate."
The military has said it took power because November elections won by Suu Kyi's party were fraudulent, an assertion dismissed by the country's election commission. Suu Kyi remains in detention at an undisclosed location and many other figures in her party are also in custody.
RUSSIA 'A TRUE FRIEND'
New U.S. and European sanctions this week increased external pressure on the junta, but the condemnation is not universal.
Russia's deputy defence minister Alexander Fomin attended the parade in Naypyitaw, having met senior junta leaders a day earlier.
"Russia is a true friend," Min Aung Hlaing said.
Diplomats said eight countries - Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand - sent representatives, but Russia was the only one to send a minister to the parade on Armed Forces Day, which commemorates the start of the resistance to Japanese occupation in 1945.
Support from Russia and China, which has also refrained from criticism, is important for the junta as those two countries are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and can block potential U.N. actions.
In a warning on Friday evening, state television said protesters were "in danger of getting shot to the head and back". It did not specifically say security forces had been given shoot-to-kill orders and the junta has previously suggested some fatal shootings have come from within the crowds.
Gunshots hit the U.S. cultural centre in Yangon on Saturday, but nobody was hurt and the incident was being investigated, U.S. Embassy spokesperson Aryani Manring said.
Author and historian Thant Myint-U wrote on Twitter: "Even after weeks of appalling violence, today's killing of civilians is shocking both in nature and scale, with again children amongst the dead, and deserves the world's concerted attention and help."
(Reporting by Reuters staff; Writing by Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore, Michael Perry and Frances Kerry)
-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-28-
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Chiang Mai organizes Northern Thai Tourism Fair event
supawadee wangsri
CHIANG MAI (NNT) - Chiang Mai, in collaboration with relevant agencies, is organizing a Northern Thai Tourism Fair from March 26-30. The tourism business operators have set up booths offering more than 70- percent discount on tour packages.
Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1211674-chiang-mai-organizes-northern-thai-tourism-fair-event/
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supawadee wangsri
CHIANG MAI (NNT) - Chiang Mai, in collaboration with relevant agencies, is organizing a Northern Thai Tourism Fair from March 26-30. The tourism business operators have set up booths offering more than 70- percent discount on tour packages.
Mr Charoenrit Sanguansat, Governor of Chiang Mai, presided over the opening session of the Northern Thai Tourism Fair organized by Chiang Mai, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Chiang Mai Office, Chiang Mai Provincial Office of Tourism and Sports, Northern Thai Hotel Association, Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association, We Love Chiang Mai Fund and Central Pattana Public Company Limited, to stimulate the economy of the tourism sector and promote tourism across regions by making Chiang Mai a tourism hub in the North.
The event is attended by more than 90 tourism business operators from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phrae and Nan who offer discounts of up to 70 percent for accommodation, food and spa packages. Interested people can visit and ask for more information at the Promotion Ground, 1st Floor, Central Festival Chiang Mai, from March 26-30.
-- © Copyright NNT 2021-03-28 -
World Bank supports continued government economic stimulus
Praphorn Praphornkul
BANGKOK (NNT) - The World Bank has encouraged the Thai government to continue its economic stimulus measures with a focus on businesses directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic such as those in the tourism sector.
Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1211673-world-bank-supports-continued-government-economic-stimulus/
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Praphorn Praphornkul
BANGKOK (NNT) - The World Bank has encouraged the Thai government to continue its economic stimulus measures with a focus on businesses directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic such as those in the tourism sector.
Senior country economist of the World Bank for Thailand Kiatipong Ariyapruchya has noted that uncertainty remains for the Thai economy due to COVID-19, making it necessary for the government to continue fiscal measures to aid the public and business operators, pointing in particular to the labor market linked to the tourism sector, as visitor estimates for the nation this year are only 4-5 million people. He acknowledged that global vaccination could alter circumstances by boosting traveler confidence.
The economist lauded recent measures for the rehabilitation of businesses and to assist debtors as crucial in keeping the economy afloat and providing liquidity to operators, especially SMEs. While admitting Thailand has expended more budget to prop up the economy than most other countries, Kiatipong said the Kingdom has adequate reserves and its public debt remains under 60 percent of the GDP, reflecting effective management.
The World Bank report on East Asia and Pacific economies for April 2021, issued on the topic “Unequal Recovery”, indicates COVID-19 has created about 1 million newly impoverished people in Thailand and marked the first time in 20 years that poverty was not reduced in the Kingdom. A similar situation has been seen across Asia. The bank’s assessment is that the Thai economy will expand 3.4 percent this year and 4.7 percent next year.
-- © Copyright NNT 2021-03-28 -
50:50 campaign reaches 100 billion baht transaction milestone
Tanakorn Sangiam
BANGKOK (NNT) - The total value of transactions in the government’s 50:50 co-pay campaign has reached 100 million baht. Campaign participants now have until 31 March to use up all their remaining allowance.
Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1211671-5050-campaign-reaches-100-billion-baht-transaction-milestone/
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Tanakorn Sangiam
BANGKOK (NNT) - The total value of transactions in the government’s 50:50 co-pay campaign has reached 100 million baht. Campaign participants now have until 31 March to use up all their remaining allowance.
The Ministry of Finance revealed the government’s 50:50 co-pay campaign for general purchases has seen an accumulative total amount of campaign transactions of 100.042 billion baht, made at shops and vendors across the country.
Introduced as a financial aid package to help stimulate the economy suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, the 50:50 campaign offers a 3,500 baht allowance per person, to be used as a subsidy for 50% of the value of purchases made at participating stores, with a daily cap at 150 baht for the subsidy element.
According to the Fiscal Policy Office’s Director General and the Ministry of Finance Spokesperson Kulaya Tantitemit, 51.21 billion baht of the total transaction amount was paid by campaign participants, while the remaining 48.83 billion baht was met by the government.
14.79 million people have signed up for this co-pay campaign, with 19.58 million already using up their allowance. Those with remaining allowance have until 31 March to use it up.
Ms. Kulaya said transactions in this campaign have been made all across the country, reflecting the government’s success in promoting domestic consumption and helping the grassroot economy to recover.
Bangkok is at the top of the spending list in this campaign, followed by Chon Buri, Samut Prakan, Song Khla and Chiang Mai.
-- © Copyright NNT 2021-03-28 -
Gov’t expects distribution of 15.5bn baht to tourism sector in new campaign
Tanakorn Sangiam
BANGKOK (NNT) - Gov’t expects distribution of 15.5bn baht to tourism sector in new campaign
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Tanakorn Sangiam
BANGKOK (NNT) - Gov’t expects distribution of 15.5bn baht to tourism sector in new campaign
The government has introduced a new domestic tourism promotion campaign, offering subsidies on the price of individual tour packages. This campaign is expected to help distribute at least 15.5 billion baht in income among tourism-related businesses.
The government has announced a new domestic tourism campaign, called “Tour Thiaw Thai”, to help the tourism sector suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, while promoting inter-provincial travel and income distribution to local communities.
Government Spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said the new campaign will offer a 40% subsidy on the price of a tour package, with the subsidy capped at 5,000 baht per person per booking.
This subsidy is offered to Thai nationals, who need to sign up for the campaign starting in May. Eligible packages must be at least 3-day, 2-nights, must be booked via licensed tour agencies and must take place outside the traveler’s province of residence.
Mr. Anucha said this campaign is expected to help tour agencies, transport providers, restaurants and tourism attractions generate no less than 12.5 billion baht in revenue and indirectly inject 3 billion baht into local economies.
The Tour Thiaw Thai campaign will be in addition to the government’s current domestic tourism promotion campaigns, such as the We Travel Together campaign, which offers subsidies for hotel stays and flights. The government has recently approved an additional 2 million registrations for the We Travel Together in its Phase 3 extension.
NOTE: I need to remove the last paragraph as the data seems severely outdated. Latest GCI data can be found here https://covid19.pemandu.org/Thailand.html, while the No.1 claim was reported in July last year.
-- © Copyright NNT 2021-03-28-
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PM grateful for people’s cooperation as country retains stable credit rating
Tanakorn Sangiam
BANGKOK (NNT) - The Prime Minister has thanked the general public for their cooperation with COVID-19 measures, which has helped the country retain a stable credit rating, reflecting a good level of confidence.
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Tanakorn Sangiam
BANGKOK (NNT) - The Prime Minister has thanked the general public for their cooperation with COVID-19 measures, which has helped the country retain a stable credit rating, reflecting a good level of confidence.
In a podcast today, the Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o- cha thanked members of the public for their cooperation with measures to control the spread of COVID-19, which helped the country maintain the confidence of the international community.
Thailand’s sovereign credit rating has been rated at BBB+ with a stable outlook by Standard & Poor Global Ratings released in November last year. The Prime Minister said this is a result of the community’s cooperation.
He said the government will continue pursuing economic measures in line with the public health situation, with the goal being to strengthen the country’s economic and financial foundation. The country is now anticipating 4% GDP growth this year.
Gen Prayut said the government has accelerated assistance to every group of people, especially those at the grassroots, along with economic recovery and improved opportunities for younger generations and the elderly, by focusing on housing and a reduction of inequalities.
On the plan to reopen the country to visitors, the Prime Minister said the Canter for COVID-19 Situation Administration has introduced special quarantine arrangements at golf clubs and onboard yachts in touristic provinces. These special quarantine programs are expected to commence in the second quarter this year.
The Prime Minister said stages ofThailand’s reopening must correspond with progress of the vaccine rollout both here and abroad, while pointing out that the vaccine could be a key factor in the recovery of the Thai economy to the pre-pandemic level in the latter half of next year.
The Prime Minister also asked the general public to continue cooperating with the government’s measures, and help with the country’s economic recovery by spending on goods and taking domestic trips.
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Health Ministry encourages public to seek COVID-19 vaccination
Praphorn Praphornkul
BANGKOK (NNT) - The Permanent Secretary for Public Health says COVID-19 vaccinations are proceeding as targeted, urging public cooperation by explaining that if 60 percent of the population is inoculated the country can reopen to tourism and economic opportunities.
Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1211667-health-ministry-encourages-public-to-seek-covid-19-vaccination/
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Praphorn Praphornkul
BANGKOK (NNT) - The Permanent Secretary for Public Health says COVID-19 vaccinations are proceeding as targeted, urging public cooperation by explaining that if 60 percent of the population is inoculated the country can reopen to tourism and economic opportunities.
Permanent Secretary of Public Health Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit remarked in an interview on the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine that the Ministry of Public Health has distributed doses to target areas and groups, and vaccination is proceeding according to plan, adding that Samut Sakhon was one of the first to receive vaccinations as it was the source of the most recent outbreak. He urged those in the province who received their first dose to return for a second to boost their immunity.
The Permanent Secretary announced that it is the government’s intention to safely reopen the nation, making inoculation of the public crucial, explaining that 60 percent vaccination across the country or in the provinces would allow for reopening. He encouraged all citizens to seek vaccination for the sake of the Kingdom, its businesses and its tourism, allying concerns by saying that the vaccinations chosen for distribution were vetted for quality, safety and appropriateness to the country. The government has acquired over 73 million doses, comprising 2 million from Sinovac with 5 million pending and 61 million from AstraZeneca with 5 million pending due to vaccines owed for the country’s sponsorship of research.
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Council of State assures legal changes for a referendum will be made in time
Praphorn Praphornkul
BANGKOK (NNT) - The Council of State has given an assurance that draft legislation on the holding of a referendum will be completed within the allotted time and put to Parliament before Songkran, despite concerns members of its review committee may seek to overturn it.
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Thailand Live Sunday 28 Mar 2021
in Thailand News
Posted
Suspected suicide bomber at Indonesia church wounds several
By Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Nilufar Rizki
Armed police officers stand guard along a closed road following an explosion outside a Catholic church in Makassar, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia, March 28, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer
JAKARTA (Reuters) - A suspected suicide bomber blew up outside a Catholic church in the Indonesian city of Makassar on Sunday, wounding some people on the first day of the Easter Holy Week, police and a witness said.
Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1211688-suspected-suicide-bomber-at-indonesia-church-wounds-several/