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New vaccine combo injects hope for Thailand’s battle against COVID-19 A medical staff member prepares a syringe with a vial of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in Bangkok.(Photo by Thai PBS) If you are hesitant about getting a Sinovac jab to protect yourself against COVID-19, here’s some good news – the government is preparing to offer new free alternatives. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234947-new-vaccine-combo-injects-hope-for-thailand’s-battle-against-covid-19/

A medical staff member prepares a syringe with a vial of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in Bangkok.(Photo by Thai PBS) If you are hesitant about getting a Sinovac jab to protect yourself against COVID-19, here’s some good news – the government is preparing to offer new free alternatives. The Public Health Ministry said last week that it was seeking official approval for the AstraZeneca-Pfizer vaccine cocktail for people under the government’s free vaccination rollout. The Thai government is currently offering three brands of COVID-19 vaccine – Sinovac, AstraZeneca and Pfizer. Early this year, most vaccinees were given two doses of Sinovac, though since then millions have received two doses of AstraZeneca. But faced with limited supply of AstraZeneca vaccine and growing complaints about Sinovac’s low efficacy, the government began rolling out the Sinovac-AstraZeneca cocktail in July. However, concern over the safety of this new combination has prompted many people to stay away from COVID-19 jabs altogether. Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/new-vaccine-combo-injects-hope-for-thailands-battle-against-covid-19/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-10-11 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Opinion: Thailand has to gradually stop worrying about new infection numbers By Thai Enquirer A few days ago, the parents of my daughter’s friend asked me if the number of cases Thailand was seeing was actually much higher than those we see on the news every morning. They had heard from some doctor friends that the rate of infection was being under reported by the ministry and by the government. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234946-opinion-thailand-has-to-gradually-stop-worrying-about-new-infection-numbers/

By Thai Enquirer A few days ago, the parents of my daughter’s friend asked me if the number of cases Thailand was seeing was actually much higher than those we see on the news every morning. They had heard from some doctor friends that the rate of infection was being under reported by the ministry and by the government. The truth of the matter is that we will never know the exact number of people who get infected because the government’s policy isn’t designed to do the so. The vast majority of new cases that we report are those who have come in for testing. Acting case finding is next to nothing and we don’t have a policy or the money in place to do mass testing around the country. And people need to know that there is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with that because our vaccination program is now fully underway and we are doing quite well in that regard despite earlier hiccups. Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/33781/__trashed-4/ -- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2021-10-11 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

COVID-19: Thailand reports 10,035 new coronavirus cases, 60 deaths File photo: REUTERS Thailand on Monday (October 11) reported 10,035 new COVID-19 cases, 10,590 recoveries and 84 additional deaths over the past 24 hours. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234943-covid-19-thailand-reports-10035-new-coronavirus-cases-60-deaths/ //CLOSED// /Admin

COVID-19: Thailand reports 10,035 new coronavirus cases, 60 deaths File photo: REUTERS Thailand on Monday (October 11) reported 10,035 new COVID-19 cases, 10,590 recoveries and 84 additional deaths over the past 24 hours. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234943-covid-19-thailand-reports-10035-new-coronavirus-cases-60-deaths/

File photo: REUTERS Thailand on Monday (October 11) reported 10,035 new COVID-19 cases, 10,590 recoveries and 60 additional deaths over the past 24 hours. ◼︎ 10,590 recoveries ◼︎ 9,955 new infections ◼︎ 80 prison / prison infections ▶︎ Total infections since April 1: 1,692,056 ▶︎ Total recoveries since since April 1: 1,565,477 Monday’s cases bring the total number of COVID-19 infections in Thailand to 1,720,919 with 17,751 deaths. The news comes as the Rural Doctors Society (RDS) has warned Thai people not to lower their guard, noting that COVID-19 infections in Thailand are not declining, as widely misunderstood. On the contrary, are increasing, averaging over 20,000 cases a day. In its Facebook post yesterday (Sunday), the RDS says “please pay attention and be on the alert” as it pointed out at the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has shown two figures for new infections yesterday (Sunday), from different testing methods – 10,817 cases from RT-PCR tests and 10,055 cases from antigen tests. *Thai PBS contributed to this report Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2021-10-11 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Thailand's economy to back to pre-pandemic levels in mid-2023: bank Source: Xinhua | Editor: huaxia BANGKOK, (Xinhua) -- The Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), one of Thailand's biggest commercial banks, expected the country's economy to return to 2019 growth levels in mid-2023 amid improving domestic and international demand. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234923-thailands-economy-to-back-to-pre-pandemic-levels-in-mid-2023-bank/

Source: Xinhua | Editor: huaxia BANGKOK, (Xinhua) -- The Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), one of Thailand's biggest commercial banks, expected the country's economy to return to 2019 growth levels in mid-2023 amid improving domestic and international demand. Undermining damages from economic scars, including worsening business dynamics, increasingly fragile labor market conditions as well as deteriorating household and small and medium enterprises' balance sheets, mean that overall recovery of the Southeast Asia's second-largest economy would be gradual, according to a report released by the SCB Economic Intelligence Center. The latest COVID-19 outbreak, which has seen Thailand's total number of infections surge from less than 30,000 in April to more than 1.7 million, has weakened private consumption and restricted international tourist arrivals, even though the government announced plans to ease restrictions on vaccinated travelers. Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view Full story: http://www.news.cn/english/2021-10/09/c_1310234939.htm -- © Copyright Xinhua 2021-10-11 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

COVID-19: How Thailand is using a 'cheap and effective' traditional herbal medicine to treat coronavirus Thailand's government is using green chiretta to treat people with asymptomatic or mild coronavirus infections, following a trial in prisons which found that 99% of those who consumed the plant recovered. Siobhan Robbins, SE Asia correspondent Chainat jail is using the herbal remedy to treat prisoners In Thailand's fields, convicted criminals tend to a precious crop. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234921-covid-19-how-thailand-is-using-a-cheap-and-effective-traditional-herbal-medicine-to-treat-coronavirus/

Chainat jail is using the herbal remedy to treat prisoners Thailand's government is using green chiretta to treat people with asymptomatic or mild coronavirus infections, following a trial in prisons which found that 99% of those who consumed the plant recovered. Siobhan Robbins, SE Asia correspondent In Thailand's fields, convicted criminals tend to a precious crop. In the blazing sun, in neon orange tops, they bend and scrape, painstakingly weeding the ground around neat lines of dark green plants. They're growing green chiretta (Andrographis paniculate) - or Fah talai jone, as it's called in Thailand. It's a traditional herbal medicine commonly used in Thai homes to treat colds, but is now playing a central role in the country's fight against COVID-19. Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view Full story: https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-how-thailand-is-using-a-cheap-and-effective-traditional-herbal-medicine-to-treat-coronavirus-12428157 -- © Copyright Sky News 2021-10-11 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

British diver relives gripping Thai cave rescue One of the team who found the 12 young footballers tells of restaging the mission for a film Rebecca Ratcliffe in Bangkok Richard Stanton, one of the volunteers who helped in the rescue operation for the Thai children’s football team and their coach. Photograph: Jonathan Williams/Facebook In October 2020, Rick Stanton readied his wetsuit, dive harness, cylinders and regulators. He was preparing to plunge into the underwater filming stage at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire: a six-metre deep tank, surrounded by dark walls prepared with an artificial cave passage. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234920-british-diver-relives-gripping-thai-cave-rescue/

Richard Stanton, one of the volunteers who helped in the rescue operation for the Thai children’s football team and their coach. Photograph: Jonathan Williams/Facebook One of the team who found the 12 young footballers tells of restaging the mission for a film Rebecca Ratcliffe in Bangkok In October 2020, Rick Stanton readied his wetsuit, dive harness, cylinders and regulators. He was preparing to plunge into the underwater filming stage at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire: a six-metre deep tank, surrounded by dark walls prepared with an artificial cave passage. Stanton, along with six other British divers, was recreating the extraordinary Tham Luang cave rescue mission in which he took part, an operation that gripped the world’s attention in 2018, and which saved 12 teenage footballers and their assistant coach who had become trapped in the north Thailand cave. The result is The Rescue, a documentary film, which was released in the US on 8 October and opens in the UK on 29 October. It promises to re-tell the story of the rescue in nailbiting detail. “We say that in Thailand we made it possibly look a bit too easy,” said Stanton. “Every day we went in and brought the boys out. But no one knew what actually happened, so we did want to tell our story.” Full story: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/oct/10/british-diver-relives-gripping-thai-cave-rescue -- © Copyright The Guardian 2021-10-11 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

250,000 COVID-19 test kits provided for food vendors By Tanakorn Sangiam BANGKOK (NNT) - Safety remains a top priority for businesses including restaurants after reopening. The Department of Health has so far provided 250,000 COVID-19 antigen test kits to the food business sector, where workers are now asked to perform self-tests every week. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234919-250000-covid-19-test-kits-provided-for-food-vendors/

By Tanakorn Sangiam BANGKOK (NNT) - Safety remains a top priority for businesses including restaurants after reopening. The Department of Health has so far provided 250,000 COVID-19 antigen test kits to the food business sector, where workers are now asked to perform self-tests every week. The Department of Health’s Director-General Dr Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai said these kits were funded by the National Health Security Office, and would be given to eligible workers in the food and restaurant industry at no cost. The criteria of eligibility for these free test kits depends on each of the following four businesses: markets, restaurants, street hawking, and food delivery. Starting with the markets, these kits are intended to be used by screening teams at wholesale and large markets with active transmission. The screening teams will have access to a total of 157,452 kits to randomly test 10% of those at high risk, including those in direct contact with a patient, or those sharing their accommodation with many people. The test target can be scaled up based on the severity of the situation. For restaurants, 68,596 kits will be accessible by restaurants that purchase ingredients from markets with active transmission, restaurants with unvaccinated employees, restaurants with employees being in close contact with a patient, and restaurants in high transmission areas. For hawkers, the distribution of 18,876 kits will be focused on hawkers buying ingredients from markets with reported cases, unvaccinated hawkers, those in close contact with a patient, and hawkers in high transmission areas. For delivery riders, 5,076 test kits are available for unvaccinated riders in Bangkok and neighboring provinces, those in close contact with a patient, and riders in high transmission areas. Food vendors are encouraged to always observe the Universal Protection measures. Workers in this sector are now recommended to test themselves with antigen test kits every 7 days. Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view -- © Copyright NNT 2021-10-11 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Intoxicated foreign woman found sleeping on Pattaya Second Road during curfew, was reportedly robbed while passed out By Nop Meechukhun Pattaya – An unidentified foreign woman was found drunk sleeping in front of a foreign currency exchange shop in Pattaya in Banglamung District during the early hours of this morning, October 10th, with all of her valuables stolen. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234918-intoxicated-foreign-woman-found-sleeping-on-pattaya-second-road-during-curfew-was-reportedly-robbed-while-passed-out/

By Nop Meechukhun Pattaya – An unidentified foreign woman was found drunk sleeping in front of a foreign currency exchange shop in Pattaya in Banglamung District during the early hours of this morning, October 10th, with all of her valuables stolen. Police and rescue volunteers from Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan arrived at the scene around 2:00 AM. this morning after being alerted of the foreigner lying near the Royal Garden Plaza on Second Road in Pattaya. The woman, whose nationality was unknown, was seen wearing a white shirt and black shorts and sleeping unconsciously. Rescuers then woke her up and did a primary health check-up. Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/10/10/intoxicated-foreign-woman-found-sleeping-on-pattaya-second-road-during-curfew-was-reportedly-robbed-while-passed-out/ -- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2021-10-11 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

BEDO presents its take on turning faraway communities into biotourism destinations By Thammarat Thadaphrom BANGKOK (NNT) - The Biodiversity-Based Economy Development Office (BEDO) has presented its take on creating bio-tourism destinations out of faraway communities during this COVID-19 era, with an aim of dissipating income to locals. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234916-bedo-presents-its-take-on-turning-faraway-communities-into-biotourism-destinations/

By Thammarat Thadaphrom BANGKOK (NNT) - The Biodiversity-Based Economy Development Office (BEDO) has presented its take on creating bio-tourism destinations out of faraway communities during this COVID-19 era, with an aim of dissipating income to locals. BEDO President Wijarn Simachaya elaborated on his office’s bio-tourism concept for the New Normal era, saying that beauty and abundance of nature, as well as biodiversity within each community, could be leveraged as selling points. He said ‘natural capital’ and biodiversity could be used to generate value for products that carry each community’s identity. Tourism focusing on each community’s traditional way of life – including natural resources and environmental elements – continues to garner increased interest among tourists. BEDO has already promoted this type of tourism in 6 rural communities which possessed rare scenery, wildlife, or local wisdom that relates to biological resources. The communities include a sustainable agriculture group in Phu Luang district of Loei and a biological resource development group focused on growing Calamansi in Khalung district of Chanthaburi. BEDO endeavors to enable each of the supported communities to develop its offerings in a way that promotes communities as bio-tourism destinations and dissipates income locally, while also contributing to the preservation of these communities. -- © Copyright NNT 2021-10-11 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Phuket Opinion: Kill the COE, tourism tax By The Phuket News This is how simple the COE registration process actually is. Source: Certificate of Entry Registration Manual / Ministry of Foreign Affairs PHUKET: A dim light now appears to be glimmering at the end of a very long tunnel for Phuket’s COVID-battered tourism industry, and for people at large on the island. The easing of the alcohol restrictions in restaurants was nearly celebrated when it came into effect last week, at the same time, over the past week the number of new infections reported each day have abated, now clearly below 200 a day. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234915-phuket-opinion-kill-the-coe-tourism-tax/

This is how simple the COE registration process actually is. Source: Certificate of Entry Registration Manual / Ministry of Foreign Affairs By The Phuket News PHUKET: A dim light now appears to be glimmering at the end of a very long tunnel for Phuket’s COVID-battered tourism industry, and for people at large on the island. The easing of the alcohol restrictions in restaurants was nearly celebrated when it came into effect last week, at the same time, over the past week the number of new infections reported each day have abated, now clearly below 200 a day. The easing of the requirements for domestic travellers to come to Phuket, brought into effect only nine days ago, has also helped to ease the tension, which has been nearly palpable across the island as people and business operators continue to struggle to keep their financial heads above water. It’s almost as if the island itself this past week has breathed a nervous sigh of relief in the belief that the end might be nigh. In addition to the easing of the alcohol restriction in Phuket and the entry requirements for domestic visitors to the island, the Sandbox 7+7 extension scheme now appears to be workable with areas outside Phuket, including Khao Lak, Koh Yao and Phi Phi Island, ready to properly receive guests without provincial orders for those locations getting in the way. Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-opinion-kill-the-coe-tourism-tax-81655.php -- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-10-11 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Phuket Vegetarian Festival continues under ‘new normal’ By Eakkapop Thongtub Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub PHUKET: The Phuket Vegetarian Festival continued into Day 5 of the nine-day festival last Sunday (Oct 10) with devotees and Ma Song spirit mediums from the Tha Reua Shrine staging a street procession through Phuket Town to Saphan Hin. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234914-phuket-vegetarian-festival-continues-under-‘new-normal’/

Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub By Eakkapop Thongtub PHUKET: The Phuket Vegetarian Festival continued into Day 5 of the nine-day festival last Sunday (Oct 10) with devotees and Ma Song spirit mediums from the Tha Reua Shrine staging a street procession through Phuket Town to Saphan Hin. As is the ‘new normal’ for the Vegetarian Festival this year, the Ma Song and their assistants travelled by motorcade on the backs of flat-bed trucks and pickups instead of walking the traditional route to the Chinese temple at Saphan Hin. Also in accordance with ‘new normal’ protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Ma Song and their assistants taking part in the street procession were asked by the Tha Reua Shrine administrators to ensure no facial piercings were observed this year. Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-vegetarian-festival-continues-under-new-normal-81659.php -- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-10-11 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

MorChana to have face recognition integrated, warn officials of foreigners outside designated Sandbox zones MDES Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn at the meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall on Friday (Oct 8). Photo: PR Phuket PHUKET: The MorChana app has been expanded to inform officials within 30 minutes if any tourists are not in designated zones where they are supposed to remain while observing their Sandbox quarantine period, and is now integrated where possible to use face recognition software, the Minister for Digital Economy and Society (MDES) has revealed. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1234913-morchana-to-have-face-recognition-integrated-warn-officials-of-foreigners-outside-designated-sandbox-zones/

MDES Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn at the meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall on Friday (Oct 8). Photo: PR Phuket PHUKET: The MorChana app has been expanded to inform officials within 30 minutes if any tourists are not in designated zones where they are supposed to remain while observing their Sandbox quarantine period, and is now integrated where possible to use face recognition software, the Minister for Digital Economy and Society (MDES) has revealed. In addition to leading a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall to update Phuket officials about the expansion of the MorChana app, Mr Chaiwut during his visit inspected operations at the ’Phuket Sandbox Operation Center’ in Phuket Town and the Command Control Center operated by Patong Municipality. The expansion of the MorChana app’s capabilities by integrating it with the command control centres was part of the move “to support the plan to open the country to receive tourists in the next phase,” Mr Chaiwut said. Planning to visit Phuket? Book your Sandbox hotel here Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/morchana-to-have-face-recognition-integrated-warn-officials-of-foreigners-outside-designated-sandbox-zones-81660.php -- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-10-11 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates