Prayut will reconsider lockdown in last week of April

By THE NATION

 

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Wednesday (April 15) that he will evaluate the Covid-19 situation in the last week of April to see if some restrictions can be lifted.

 

He has already instructed state agencies to ease restrictions if the situation gets better and what they should do if infections rise. The Centre of the Covid-19 Situation Administration will also take all factors into account before making any decision.

 

The prime minister has warned that if people let their guard fall, the situation will worsen, adding that his government is giving equal attention to all affected groups.

 

Thailand has around 37 million workers in the informal and formal sectors combined, plus 9 million freelancers and 17 million in the farming sector.

 

Prayut said the government is funneling money from many sources to help those affected by the outbreak.

 

Each ministry has also been told to allocate 10 per cent of their budgets to the cause, however, this contribution, which adds up to Bt100 billion, will first have to be approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate. He said he expects the budget to be released in June.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30386066

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-04-15

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

3 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The Centre of the Covid-19 Situation Administration will also take all factors into account before making any decision.

sheer genius

Of course! Couldn't say "constantly under review". Now whatever happens we are all stuck until May.

Thailand will be last to come out if lockdown ! Schools  are set to open in other countries while Thailand talking about July ! Not that will effect the education levels 

Can't really blame him for this and it seems to make sense. Hopefully May will see some places reopen similar to what is happening in Europe now. 

May will be a better choice to lift the lockdown, just close all the borders to prevent people coming in.

40 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Prayut said the government is funneling money from many sources to help those affected by the outbreak.

I am quite sure he and all hi cronies really understand the word funneling. 

2 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

I am quite sure he and all hi cronies really understand the word funneling. 

It certainly won't be getting funnelled from any of their personal sources.

Penny for his thoughts, a dollar for the MoPH data that actually shows "Probable" and "Asymptomatic" case count, I'll throw in five bucks for the test figures.

 

The question is what data is he going to base any decisions on.

56 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

workers in the informal and formal sectors combined, plus 9 million freelancers and 17 million in the farming sector.

Wow, that is a lot.

9 million freelancers? Time to get on thai freindly and check them out.????

Oh joy..

 

https://www.thaienquirer.com/11566/prayut-says-government-has-only-enough-money-to-pay-one-month-of-aid-to-those-affected-by-coronavirus-phuket-governor-reshuffled/

Quote

“The number of new confirmed cases is gradually declining in past days and we will use this as an indicator of whether we can ease up on some measures or not,” Prayut said.

 

And those figures are best used as fertilizer. But since it's his buddy Anutin at MoPH doing them, alrighty then, eh? Nothing to do with the possibility of having to share the trough with the peasants if they can't get back to selling somtum.

Many people in positions of privilege/power don't seem to realise just how much damage has, and is, being done. It's not going to keep, as many ordinary Thais are already at their wits end pawning everyday items for small bits of cash, people lined up outside gold shops etc. Give it two more weeks and people will be going properly nuts, even rioting. Most locals live day-to-day or month-to-month and as the work dries up and people get laid-off then it's going to go south big time. People are already throwing fits out of desperation.

 

Problem is, that so many locals are so in debt with cars/houses and luxury items (even small ones like phones that they pay monthly) that they can't really afford and the slightest hiccup and they have to default as so few have room to maneuver. On top of this the shambles that the government handout has been and how slow they are doing it is just crazy ... and by the time they get the next batch of people ready for payment then the first lot will have run out of money and want more. Maybe they should use some of that mountain of foreign reserves they are sitting on.

 

Dark days are ahead for many Thais as it will take a very long time to get things back to even half of what it was as so much here is dependent on tourism/hospitality and manufacturing. There will be no choice other than to let people get on with it soon, virus or no virus ... obviously social distancing, hand gel sanitizer and face masks are here to stay but they can't keep up the other Nazi stuff for that long. People have gotten too used to their lives and deal with shocks very badly plus hunger will make a criminal of anyone.

https://www.thaienquirer.com/11566/prayut-says-government-has-only-enough-money-to-pay-one-month-of-aid-to-those-affected-by-coronavirus-phuket-governor-reshuffled/

 

 

Prayut says government has only enough money to pay one month of aid to those affected by coronavirus; Phuket governor reshuffle

ByErich Parpart

 

April 15, 2020

 

The government will consider easing lockdown measures as coronavirus infection numbers continue to fall, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha said on Wednesday.

“The number of new confirmed cases is gradually declining in past days and we will use this as an indicator of whether we can ease up on some measures or not,” Prayut said.

 

“I ask people for more time to consider the possibility [of easing up] since we have to be cautious when the risk is still high,” he said.

 

I'm sure all the people sleeping on the streets in Pattaya and the hundreds queuing for food handouts will be relieved to hear that "his government is giving equal attention to all affected groups."

5 hours ago, BobbyL said:

Can't really blame him for this and it seems to make sense.

The 1.5 million people that are locked down in Udon Thani that are unable to earn a living would disagree with you! & no doubt millions of people in the same predicament! guess it will give the TWO people that are hospitalised in Udon a chance to recover! No sense in that!

As far as easing the lock downs and opening up, the decision may well be heavily influenced by simple economics

All governments are between the proverbial rock and a hard place, open up too soon and a second wave arrives would be catastrophic, hold out means financing the population

 

Not an easy balance to find, not an easy risk management path to follow

 

However, the Thai people need support now, and moving forward, for the next 2 months or so, at the very least - so come on government, assist all your people, prove your management over the last few years is the success you claim, and Thailand, as a successful country, are able to match the support of the population in line with other major countries

CCSA to consider whether state of emergency restrictions can be eased

 

 

Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will conduct an assessment of the enforcement of measures being imposed under the State of Emergency Executive Decree, including the night curfew, to determine whether they should be extended or whether some of measures can be eased and in which areas.

 

Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that he is satisfied with the slowing trend in new COVID-19 infections over the past several days, saying that this will be taken into account as the CCSA assess the effects of the emergency decree, which is due to expire on April 26th.

 

He cautioned that, even though the infection rate has slowed, it does not mean that coronavirus has been effectively contained, warning that the contagion may resurge “if we lower our guard”.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/ccsa-to-consider-whether-state-of-emergency-restrictions-can-be-eased/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-04-16

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Fair Warning!!! If I see any Chinese tour buses anytime soon in Pattaya, I will be calling a good friend of mine who works in US State Department back home in WAshington, DC. And I will let him, and the rest of the world know just how corrupt, incompetent and money hungry the Thai Government really is! #Americafirst2020

11 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Wow, that is a lot.

9 million freelancers.......does not include thousands of freeloaders in power.

Amazing Thailand TIT

(Thailand has around 37 million workers in the informal and formal sectors combined, plus 9 million freelancers and 17 million in the farming sector). With Thailand having a population of around 68 million, these figues seem incorrect. According to my maths he is stating there are 63 million workers, or am I missing something ?

Well, if I were the Prime Minister, I would check the numbers of workers in the country against the numbers in the population, before I announced them in public. As I undestand it, the population is around 65 million. The number of workers stated is 63 million - how many children are workers?

63 Million workers total , who's watching the baby ? 

 

9 million hungry freelancers ...

 

27 million registered for the handout....The ministers must have large extended families to support !

 

Hang in there Benito..

Nothing has changed since February and in fact now the situation may be worse as its the rainy season which is the flu season in Thailand.  So what have we achieved with this lockdown.  Well we have managed to realise that Thailand cannot afford a lockdown because too many snouts have been at the treasury trough for too long.  So no spare coins left to throw to the masses and the 1% are suffering some losses now.

With his current problems (leadership and fiscal) its probably safer for him if the country is locked down.

 

I bet he cant even buy a suitcase for a planned escape!

I thought it was just a theory but according to news reports this morning in the United States this virus is not naturally occurring and it was developed in a Wuhan laboratory. Something to do with research for finding vaccines not necessarily a bio weapon but regardless this was a man made error. This disaster was man made in China. 

28 minutes ago, Greg O said:

9 million hungry freelancers ...

and none of them are prostitutes! ....

1 hour ago, generealty said:

(Thailand has around 37 million workers in the informal and formal sectors combined, plus 9 million freelancers and 17 million in the farming sector). With Thailand having a population of around 68 million, these figues seem incorrect. According to my maths he is stating there are 63 million workers, or am I missing something ?

Kids and Elderly 

2 hours ago, Georgie65 said:

Fair Warning!!! If I see any Chinese tour buses anytime soon in Pattaya, I will be calling a good friend of mine who works in US State Department back home in WAshington, DC. And I will let him, and the rest of the world know just how corrupt, incompetent and money hungry the Thai Government really is! #Americafirst2020

May 1st is a Chinese holiday.  Do you think there is a coincidence ?   He is not smart nor does he have any intellectual power, but he can read a calendar.   So can the enbread Thai elites.