Winners and losers amid the coronavirus outbreak

By The Nation

 

 

Outbreak of the new coronavirus, with its epicentre in Wuhan city of Hubei Province of China, is now a global issue after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the epidemic a public health emergency with the situation yet to be contained, citing increasing cases of infection and deaths. 

 

Thailand is facing a decline in the numbers of tourists from China and other countries. The Fiscal Policy Office estimated that the incident might lower Thailand’s GPD to 2.8 per cent in 2020 from the previous forecast of 3.3 per cent.

 

Centre for International Trade Studies at The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce said if China was able to contain the virus within the first three months, Thailand's export to China would decrease by Bt9.7 billion or 1.03 per cent. But in the event the crisis lasting for more than three monrths, Bt19.84 billion will be lost in exports to China.

 

However, vice chairman of Federation of Thai Industries Montri Mahaplerkpong, said some businesses have benefited from the crisis with wood-pulp and paper makers receiving huge export orders for raw materials to be used in the production of face masks in China. Others include manufacturers of medical items such as syringes, hand wash gel, germ protection suit, and related equipment. 

 

Meanwhile, the rubber product industry has increased the productivity of anti-infection gloves for exports to hospitals in China.

 

“With the restrictions on movement having an impact on the food delivery service in Wuhan, Thai food exporters are stepping up exports to the city. Food exports from Thailand could reach the city in a short time and they can be stored for up to a month. Besides, Thai food are known for safety and long expiry dates, especially ready-to-eat food, canned food, instant food, and frozen food,” Montri said.

 

However, many sectors and businesses have been hit hard, including shops in areas popular with tourists. Thai auto-part suppliers were also affected by the closures of electric-car assembling factories in Wuhan. 

 

Visit Limlurcha, vice-president of Thai National Shippers' Council, said the lock down of Wuhan had affected the supply of necessities in the city. “This is a chance to export processed fruit, canned food, medicine and medical supplies to China”. He believed that if the crisis ended in three months, the economic situation in China will soon recover. 

 

Dr Luckchai Kittipol, Honourable President of Thai Rubber Association, said the coronavirus crisis had pushed up the exports of rubber gloves and masks to China. However, the price of the rubber is on a downtrend, the price of rubber smoked sheets 3 (RSS 3) for future contracts with Japan and Singapore decreased by almost Bt10 per kilogram last week, leading to a drop of Bt2 per kilogram in overall rubber price in Thailand.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/business/30381587

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-02-05

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Many winners in the med supply industry for sure.....including consumers as petrol further prices will plunge and maybe the THB also?......but the mega Powerball win, will go to those who get the vaccine/remedy.

Edited February 5, 20206 yr by observer90210

Couldn't find hand gel or good masks anywhere today. You can't sell what you don't have.

32 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

Couldn't find hand gel or good masks anywhere today. You can't sell what you don't have.

That's because they are under 100% control.

 

Actually, you can order pure 100% Ethyl alcohol from Lazada. Just need to dilute it to 70% to maximize anti-bacterial properties. Add red food colouring, no one else will use it.

 

Edited February 5, 20206 yr by rabas

56 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

However, vice chairman of Federation of Thai Industries Montri Mahaplerkpong, said some businesses have benefited from the crisis with wood-pulp and paper makers receiving huge export orders for raw materials to be used in the production of face masks in China. Others include manufacturers of medical items such as syringes, hand wash gel, germ protection suit,

Not to mention a boom in the burial casket and related items , he expanded that if we all  died Thailand's industry would be booming.

1 hour ago, canuckamuck said:

Couldn't find hand gel or good masks anywhere today. You can't sell what you don't have.

 

Regular stores and shops don't have it here. But the black market somehow seems to be doing just fine!

1 hour ago, rabas said:

 

Actually, you can order pure 100% Ethyl alcohol from Lazada. 

 

Just not between 2 and 5 pm daily.... 

So that"s few remaining forests doomed.

1 hour ago, rabas said:

That's because they are under 100% control.

 

Saw the photos the other day of some folks at Suvarnabhumi with many luggage trolleys loaded full of big case after case of 3M masks that were being sent to China...  Wonder where the senders of those managed to amass those kinds of huge quantities?

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The Fiscal Policy Office estimated that the incident might lower Thailand’s GPD to 2.8 per cent in 2020 from the previous forecast of 3.3 per cent.

"TMB Analytics, an economic analysis division of TMB Bank, has also revised downward its 2020 GDP forecast for Thailand to between 1.7 per cent and 2.1 per cent from 2.7 per cent,"quote from the ink below:

 

 

Confusion reigns as it seems like each dept. plucks figures out of their "where the sun don't shine".

Edited February 5, 20206 yr by FarFlungFalang

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

However, vice chairman of Federation of Thai Industries Montri Mahaplerkpong, said some businesses have benefited from the crisis with wood-pulp and paper makers receiving huge export orders for raw materials to be used in the production of face masks in China

I posted in another tread how making masks a controlled product would benefit those wishing to top up their rapidly diminishing trough and this seems to confirm my suspicions.

 

"Sounds like this could be useful.As a controlled product the production and sale could be limited to companies controlled by businesses owned by those whom control the trough!Brilliant!"

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 20206 yr by FarFlungFalang

It's pretty clear who the losers are,the rest are just being inconvenienced,again it's all about the money and greed it's like a scratched record.(Anybody remember those?)

Another group of winners: tourists who are enjoying lower hotel rates and quieter, cleaner beaches, trails, and bathrooms.

3 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Saw the photos the other day of some folks at Suvarnabhumi with many luggage trolleys loaded full of big case after case of 3M masks that were being sent to China...  Wonder where the senders of those managed to amass those kinds of huge quantities?

Because they are stockpiled ready for emergencies,lots of stuff all over the world is in warehouses ready for natural and man-made disasters,facemasks,tents,blankets,long life food.Anything that can be kept in long term storage is there ready.

WHO just asked for $675 million....apparently that's the price to call it a pandemic.  

1 hour ago, techietraveller84 said:

Another group of winners: tourists who are enjoying lower hotel rates and quieter, cleaner beaches, trails, and bathrooms.

 

Where? 

Winners...those who prefer low season all year? 

Winners : Coffin makers, crematorium staff overtime, face mask producers and the Grim Reaper.

 

Losers : Everybody else

Thailand, and other SE nations may well be the big losers in this outbreak...there may be bans placed on these nations peoples, travelling internationally, as they have not stopped people arriving from China and very likely allowed the spread of the virus further.

 

Thai people and their history are the losers. Looks like this whole thing is actually really quite convenient for the powers that be given it gives certain folks a good opportunity to do things under the radar as everyone has their eyes elsewhere. And I can imagine the smile on some faces due to the Run for Democracy event being cancelled due to the situation too. Kinda makes you think if this 100% under control BS is not just incompetence, but very much intentional.. 

 

On a side note, the democracy monument was fenced up and blocked from public access. I guess they're renovating it like some other landmarks recently. 

5 minutes ago, Grossman said:

On a side note, the democracy monument was fenced up and blocked from public access. I guess they're renovating it like some other landmarks recently. 

Perhaps that's because they admit Thailand is not a democracy and don't want people to get the wrong impression,especially foreigners.

12 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Saw the photos the other day of some folks at Suvarnabhumi with many luggage trolleys loaded full of big case after case of 3M masks that were being sent to China...  Wonder where the senders of those managed to amass those kinds of huge quantities?

 

I've got neighbors in China who fund their international holidays with stuff like that.  Thailand, Europe, Aus, NZ, USA...   

 

During the melamine scare when Chinese baby formula was tainted, they made a killing on baby formula.  If there's no national emergency, they'll buy a Rolex or 2, or a Prada handbag, and resell them back in China where luxury taxes are outrageous.  I'm sure a lot of them have contacts in Thailand who scouted it out for them...

 

13 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Saw the photos the other day of some folks at Suvarnabhumi with many luggage trolleys loaded full of big case after case of 3M masks that were being sent to China...  Wonder where the senders of those managed to amass those kinds of huge quantities?

That's the control I was talking about. They were controlled all the way to the airport. We don't get any.

A troll post using profane language has been removed.

 

An off topic trolling post about the flu in the US has been removed. 

15 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Saw the photos the other day of some folks at Suvarnabhumi with many luggage trolleys loaded full of big case after case of 3M masks that were being sent to China...  Wonder where the senders of those managed to amass those kinds of huge quantities?

Isn't that considered hoarding and punishable by up to 7 years imprisonment and/or 100,000 Baht fine?

17 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Many winners in the med supply industry for sure.....including consumers as petrol further prices will plunge and maybe the THB also?......but the mega Powerball win, will go to those who get the vaccine/remedy.

including a laboratory/pharmaceutical chinese (local government) agency in Whuan who happen to just file a patent on a drug related to the virus, that's opportunism/opportunity

 

(Reuters) - A state-run Chinese research institute has applied for a patent on the use of Gilead Sciences' experimental U.S. antiviral drug, which scientists think could provide treatment for the coronavirus that has killed hundreds and infected thousands.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology of the China Academy of Sciences, based in the city where the outbreak is believed to have originated, said in a statement on Tuesday it applied to patent the use of Remdesivir, an antiviral drug developed by Gilead <GILD.O>, to treat the virus.

 

 

 

36 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Isn't that considered hoarding and punishable by up to 7 years imprisonment and/or 100,000 Baht fine?

 

1. Money No. 1, Big Boy!!

 

2. Laws, but ZERO enforcement (except when it's time for a photo opp)

 

Winners: western expats in Thailand. Losers: Illegal Chinese tourist businesses.

 

Silver lining. Best time to tour Thailand is now, before the infection spreads and they shutter it all.

18 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Saw the photos the other day of some folks at Suvarnabhumi with many luggage trolleys loaded full of big case after case of 3M masks that were being sent to China...  Wonder where the senders of those managed to amass those kinds of huge quantities?

If there was a real government, they'd ban exports of masks or put a 1000000% export tax on them. Not these usurpers, they luuuv China and the profit share.

9 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

If there was a real government, they'd ban exports of masks or put a 1000000% export tax on them. Not these usurpers, they luuuv China and the profit share.

 

This is what happens when you live in a country that relies on China for much of its direct imports, particularly for these kinds of products... And then China, for their own obvious reasons, suddenly shuts off the spigot!