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Travelling to Thailand during Covid-19: four visitors – fully vaccinated – describe their experiences in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai
Shiori Kumagai from Japan at Wat Arun in Bangkok. Compared to her first visit nine years ago, attractions were empty - good for photo taking, she says. Kumagai is in Thailand to work remotely. Photo: Thomas Bird
Few countries have been affected by the shutdown of global travel to fight coronavirus more than Thailand. Bangkok was the most visited city in the world in 2019, ahead of Paris, France, and that year the country received 39.8 million visitors. The number plummeted to 6.7 million in 2020.
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Shiori Kumagai from Japan at Wat Arun in Bangkok. Compared to her first visit nine years ago, attractions were empty - good for photo taking, she says. Kumagai is in Thailand to work remotely. Photo: Thomas Bird
By Thomas Bird
- Tourism-dependent Thailand reopened to fully vaccinated travellers from designated countries on November 1. The Post asks four visitors about their trips
- The paperwork for entry can be a pain and tours cost more, they report, but destinations are quieter, the food as good as ever and Thais all wear face masks
Few countries have been affected by the shutdown of global travel to fight coronavirus more than Thailand. Bangkok was the most visited city in the world in 2019, ahead of Paris, France, and that year the country received 39.8 million visitors. The number plummeted to 6.7 million in 2020.
But the country is emerging from isolation. Beginning with the Phuket Sandbox scheme in July, Thailand has been reviving its battered tourist industry. As of November 1, fully vaccinated travellers from eligible countries – China (including Hong Kong), Malaysia and the United States among them – have been able to enter via the Test and Go programme (also known as the Quarantine Exemption Scheme). After a night in an accredited hotel, visitors with a negative PCR test result are free to roam.
The numbers look promising. As domestic Covid-19 cases have fallen, Thailand has seen the highest growth in internet searches among all destinations: a 75 per cent jump between October 10 and November 19, according to Travel Insights with Google. On December 1 and 2 alone, 16,210 travellers entered Thailand, including 13,203 under the Test and Go programme.
But the trickle of visitors has yet to become the flood Thailand needs to rehydrate its parched tourist industry. Bangkok hubs for travellers are lined by closed shopfronts displaying “For Sale” and “For Rent” signs. The country’s tuk-tuks sit idle, drivers snoozing or fondling their phones.
-- © Copyright South China Morning Post 2021-12-12-
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"Please help me get my brother home": A family's desperate plea after 44-year-old dies suddenly days after arriving in Thailand for winter holiday
By Catherine Musgrove
A family has launched a desperate bid to bring their brother's body home from Thailand after he died suddenly on holiday aged 44.
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By Catherine Musgrove
A family has launched a desperate bid to bring their brother's body home from Thailand after he died suddenly on holiday aged 44.
Free-spirited Daniel Skipper, who grew up in Walton-le-Dale and Bamber Bridge, often worked 60 hour weeks as a chef throughout the summer in order to enjoy a winter abroad, but died on Sunday only days after arriving in Thailand with friends.
Now his heartbroken family need to raise £5,000 to pay for his hospital bills, fly his body home, and transport him from the airport to Bamber Bridge.
— Lancashire Post
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Thailand reports 3,787 new COVID-19 cases, 5,606 recoveries, 20 deaths
Thailand's overall COVID-19 caseload continued to decline on Sunday, with health officials again reporting another drop in new cases.
Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1242790-thailand-reports-3787-new-covid-19-cases-5606-recoveries-20-deaths/
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Thailand's overall COVID-19 caseload continued to decline on Sunday, with health officials again reporting another drop in new cases.
On Sunday, Thailand reported 3,787 new COVID-19 cases, 5,606 recoveries and 20 deaths.
The number of daily new cases is approximately half that of those reported exactly one month previously.
Sunday's stats bring the number of new cases found in Thailand since the start of the pandemic to 2,168,646, while 2,095,859 people have made full recoveries.
The overall death toll stands at 21,171.
-- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2021-12-12
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Pattaya City officials say they continue to work to solve problems with overpopulation of street dogs in the area
Pattaya city is continuing to solve street dog problems, at least according to prominent city officials like one of the deputy mayors.
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Pattaya city is continuing to solve street dog problems, at least according to prominent city officials like one of the deputy mayors.
The current plan is essentially for street dogs to be brought to a temporary shelter before being released back to where they live in local communities after training, vaccination, and sterilization.
Pattaya City Mayor Manot Nongyai told The Pattaya News in an update, “We have been doing the current project of returning dogs back to their homes (the street, beach, etc. where they were found) after sterilization for three years now. This project was hugely successful before and had been reducing the population of dogs over time in a safe and humane manner while allowing the dogs to live in their natural environments as long as they were not aggressive or caused problems.”
“However, now we admit that we have had some problems after the Covid -19 pandemic. Many dogs were abandoned on the street by people who lost their jobs and returned to their home provinces or even countries. These dogs were not sterilized and many became pregnant, leading to more street dogs being born. Over the past roughly twenty months of the pandemic we now have a whole new generation of young dogs that are living on the streets of Pattaya and have grown up entirely in this environment and the population of dogs has increased in some areas.
-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2021-12-12-
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Traffic stopped for roughly two hours after four vehicle crash in Ban Bueng spills red paint all over the road
Traffic was tailed back and essentially at a stop for more than two kilometers after four vehicles crashed in Ban Bueng, spilling red paint all over the road.
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Traffic was tailed back and essentially at a stop for more than two kilometers after four vehicles crashed in Ban Bueng, spilling red paint all over the road.
The Ban Bueng Police was notified of the accident on the Number 344 Road in Ban Bueng earlier this week. They arrived at the scene to find four damaged vehicles on the road.
One of the vehicles was overturned and had spilled red paint all over the road. The driver, Mr. Wattana Ninnoree, 45, told TPN media, “I was delivering colored dye and paint from Samut Sakorn to Ban Bueng when a pickup truck in front of me immediately changed lanes without any warning.
-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2021-12-12 -
Monks and rangers narrowly escape explosion in Thailand’s Narathiwat
Two monks, and the two paramilitary rangers escorting them, narrowly escaped serious injury and death this morning (Saturday) when an explosive device, hidden in a roadside waste bin, was detonated about a minute after they walked past it in Ruesoh district of the southern border province of Narathiwat.
Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1242786-monks-and-rangers-narrowly-escape-explosion-in-thailand’s-narathiwat/
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Two monks, and the two paramilitary rangers escorting them, narrowly escaped serious injury and death this morning (Saturday) when an explosive device, hidden in a roadside waste bin, was detonated about a minute after they walked past it in Ruesoh district of the southern border province of Narathiwat.
Police said that four shop houses and a car, parked near the site of the blast, were damaged. Debris was scattered on the road.
Officers from the explosive ordnance disposal unit said that about 20kgs of explosives were placed inside a 5kg liquefied petroleum gas canister and the device was detonated by a remote control transmitter.
Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/monks-and-rangers-narrowly-escape-explosion-in-thailands-narathiwat/
-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-12-12 -
Warning of excessive PM2.5 dust in and around Bangkok on December 15th-18th
People living in Bangkok and its surroundings have been advised that accumulated PM2.5 dust in the atmosphere will exceed safety levels from Wednesday through Saturday of next week.
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People living in Bangkok and its surroundings have been advised that accumulated PM2.5 dust in the atmosphere will exceed safety levels from Wednesday through Saturday of next week.
Atthaphol Charoenchansa, director-general of the Pollution Control Department, said air quality across the country, including Bangkok, remained well within the safety standard of 50 microns since measurements were taken at 7am this morning.
The readings today were:
- 15-39 microns in the northern region
- 11-28 microns in the north-eastern region
- 12-38 microns in the central and western regions
- 14-25 microns in the eastern provinces
- 8-19 microns in southern provinces
- 21-47 microns in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces.
Provinces with the best air quality yesterday were Lampang, Chiang Mai, Phetchabun, Roi-et Mukdahan, Buri Ram, Lop Buri, Kanchanaburi, Suphan Buri, Rayong, Chon Buri, Trat, Yala, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phuket.
Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/warning-of-excessive-pm2-5-dust-in-and-around-bangkok-on-december-15th-18th/
-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-12-12 -
Thai cabinet to be asked to extend consumer spending stimulus schemes
Thai people may get to enjoy the benefits of the 50:50 co-payment and “Shop Dee Mee Kuen” (The More You Spend the More You Get) schemes until end of January, as the Finance Ministry considers extending the two economic stimulus measures.
Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1242784-thai-cabinet-to-be-asked-to-extend-consumer-spending-stimulus-schemes/
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Thai people may get to enjoy the benefits of the 50:50 co-payment and “Shop Dee Mee Kuen” (The More You Spend the More You Get) schemes until end of January, as the Finance Ministry considers extending the two economic stimulus measures.
Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said that the ministry will submit a proposal to extend the two schemes for another month to the cabinet on December 21st.
The programs are currently in their third phase, having been twice renewed, but are due to expire at the end of this month.
Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-cabinet-to-be-asked-to-extend-consumer-spending-stimulus-schemes/
-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-12-12 -
Thailand Live Sunday 12 Dec: https://aseannow.com/topic/1242783-thailand-live-sunday-12-dec-2021/
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Pattaya Police crackdown on illegal crane machine games
By Goong Nang(GN)
Pattaya – The Pattaya City Police cracked down on illegal crane machine games in Pattaya last night (December 10th). A Cambodian man was also arrested during the crackdown with three crane machine games seized from him.
Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1242750-pattaya-police-crackdown-on-illegal-crane-machine-games/
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Covid: I can’t help thinking we’re being taken for fools
Having always loved the cut and thrust of politics, one of Rooster’s favorite delights is to tune into Sky’s coverage of the UK Houses of Parliament for Prime Minister’s question time every Wednesday.
Read more: https://aseannow.com/topic/1242771-covid-i-can’t-help-thinking-we’re-being-taken-for-fools/
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It's not out yet. It should be on the site next week. It will be posted in the downloads section and the photography forum.
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Thailand’s property market is poised for a tech transformation after Lazudi became the kingdom’s first cloud-based property agency with a $2 million investment from Swedish venture capital company PropTech Farm.
The cash injection provides Lazudi (https://lazudi.com/th-en) with the capital they need to deploy the technology to simplify the home buying and selling process, which comes at the right time as Thailand’s property market gets ready for growth following the easing of travel restrictions. The deal with Stockholm-based PropTech Farm (https://www.proptechfarm.com/) puts Lazudi at the forefront of digital innovation in the Thai property market, by using technology to move more of the property transaction process online.
“The past few years have helped accelerate consumers acceptance of digital resources to make better, more informed decisions for purchasing property. Virtual tours, 360 immersive walkthroughs and digital agreements are all now playing a regular part of the ‘New Normal’ buying process,” said Costa Savva, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Lazudi.
“In much more developed markets consumers are already completing the full process online and we plan to implement similar technologies here in Thailand.”
Following the principles of e-commerce, the Lazudi cloud-based platform works for buyers, tenants and agents, smoothing out the posting, marketing of inventory, providing increased transparency for buyers and sellers during the transaction process, while slashing the onerous back office paperwork and admin on agents.
“The PropTech landscape has evolved over the last few years,” added Fredrik Bergman, CEO & Co-Founder of PropTech Farm
“Historically, it has been an industry slow to go digital. More and more online solutions are now available, but little has reached the Thai market which remains very fragmented and primarily offline, heavy on admin with little transparency for consumers. Our investment into Lazudi plans to change this for both agents and the end consumer,”
Hundreds of millions of dollars of venture capital has poured into global PropTech in recent years, seeing the vast potential to transform the way the world’s biggest asset class is managed and this new investment round shows that there is significant interest in the industry in Thailand.
PropTech Farm brings an amalgamation of property and digital expertise, investing in entrepreneurs ready to disrupt the sector and is specifically seeking out partners in Southeast Asia.
Lazudi founders - Costa Savva, Neil Sutton and Ben Neve - bring a wealth of property, tech and management experience, gained while founding, growing and exiting startups such as Thailand's leading property portal, www.dotproperty.com.
About Lazudi
Lazudi is an Online Real Estate Agency that leverages technology to provide an efficient, transparent and fully digitised home buying process. Lazudi partners with experienced local property agents and agencies, supporting them with a centralised marketing and technology platform, so they are able to focus 100% of their time and effort on helping their clients buy, lease and sell property. The Lazudi platform manages the process from end to end, processing all enquiries, viewings, negotiations and offers on behalf of clients. https://www.lazudi.com
About PropTech Farm
PropTech Farm is a scale up and growth engine for true potential growth start ups bridging the Nordics with Southeast Asia. PropTech Farm invests in and accelerates companies to new markets. With combined expertise in real estate, tech and finance in the Nordics and Southeast Asia, together with PropTech Farm’s unique network of partners that focus on real estate and/or tech, help develop the future PropTech companies with the best entrepreneurs. https://www.proptechfarm.com
For more information contact: [email protected]
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Two more Omicron cases detected in Thailand
Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced Wednesday that a second and third case of COVID-19 Omicron infection have been detected in Thailand in two unvaccinated Thai women, who returned to the country from Nigeria on November 24th.
Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1242372-two-more-omicron-cases-detected-in-thailand/
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Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced Wednesday that a second and third case of COVID-19 Omicron infection have been detected in Thailand in two unvaccinated Thai women, who returned to the country from Nigeria on November 24th.
Both entered quarantine upon arrival and tested positive for COVID-19, just two days before the World Health Organisation formally announced the emergence of Omicron. Their infections came ahead of Thailand’s first known case of the Omicron variant, a 35-year-old American businessman arriving from Spain and then Dubai on November 29th , as announced by the CCSA on Monday.
Both received treatment in a “hospitel” until December 5th, when the authorities tested specimens to confirm the variant of the virus is Omicron. The two women are being kept under observation for an additional seven days and have not been discharged.
Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/two-more-omicron-cases-detected-in-thailand/
-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-12-08-
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The Novotel Hua Hin Cha Am Beach Resort & Spa has officially opened its stunning new Beach Club.
A spectacular coastal vacation for couples, friends, and children, the hotel offers unrivalled access to the seaside, as well as daily live music sessions.
Each of the onsite Beach Cabanas has been thoughtfully designed with a Mediterranean blue and white feel to create a chic ambience amid a tropical island paradise while also providing convenient access to the swimming pool, bar, and beach. Visitors to this trendy and elegant Beach club may unwind and recharge in gorgeous surroundings while listening to an exclusive music selection and the sounds of natural sea waves or binge-watching Netflix all day long with the super-fast Internet connection.
With the addition of an exclusive "Do it yourself BBQ" experience on the beach, the hotel is offering BBQ seafood & turf platters, which starts at 599 THB for two people, including a variety of fresh seafood, meats and vegetables.
Additionally, the new menu features an exclusive tropical cocktail selection infused with Thai and other international flavours.
Nicolas Girard, General Manager of the Novotel Hua Hin, stated, "We are thrilled with the beautiful addition of the Beach Club to our Resort. It will improve our guests' overall experience while also providing a gorgeous seaside ambience to their entire stay at the hotel. "
That's not all; the hotel has also launched a pizza food truck on the spot, serving hearty pizza recipes made from scratch with love. So pack your bags and make plans for a fulfilling weekend with prices starting from 1200++ THB per room/night under we travel together promotion.
About Novotel Hua Hin Cha Am Beach Resort & Spa
The Novotel Hua Hin Cha Am Beach Resort & Spa is located on the oceanfront in Cha-am & Hua Hin, overlooking the magnificent Gulf of Thailand. The hotel has 243 rooms ranging from Standard Rooms to Penthouses, and you may pick from 7 different accommodation types to meet your family's demands.
Only 2.5 hours from Bangkok, the Novotel Hua Hin Cha Am Beach Resort and Spa is the ideal location for a pleasant family vacation. This award-winning family resort is perfectly positioned between Hua Hin and Cha-Am beach, and it is close to night markets, water parks, and golf courses.
The Resort offers the most incredible variety of restaurants and bars are right on your doorstep, giving a broad array of Food and Beverage options for you to enjoy throughout your visit. After lunch or dinner at Joe Kool's Terrace, head to Champions Sports Bar & Grill, featuring daily sports screenings. Cap it off with evening cocktails at Gravity Sky Bar. In addition, our Restaurants and Bars offer monthly promotions and special feature menus to complement your stay at this Hua Hin hotel.
Participate in activities, for example, foam parties, walk-on-water, pool volleyball, boxing and much more. You and your children can also enjoy our large swimming pool, including a water slide and a swim-up bar. Your safety is our priority, and our lifeguards are always on duty for added security. In addition, you may contact our Siam Adventure Club Tour desk for a range of excursions outside the Resort for the adventurous.
Thailand set to approve Special Tourist Visa for digital nomads
in Thailand News
Posted
Thailand is preparing to accommodate an increasing number of “digital nomads” with eyes on Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai as work and vacation destinations.
Spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said the three cities were ranked by Germany-based vacation search engine company Holidu on its list of the best ‘workation’ cities in 2021. One of the groups included in the survey comprised workers who travel to different locations, using mobile devices to perform their jobs remotely at coffee shops or public libraries.
A recent survey by the Adventure Travel Trade Association found Thailand to be among the most popular destinations for these digital nomads. Respondents cited blazing internet speeds, affordable living costs, and scenic tourist attractions are some of the factors that attracted them to the Kingdom, especially with so many others now working remotely due to the global pandemic.
The spokesperson said the government is working to accommodate the increasing numbers of digital nomads by approving a Special Tourist Visa (STV) that allows foreigners to stay for 90 days.
The visa can be extended twice, meaning tourists can stay up to 270 days at a time. The government hopes that STVs will help revitalize the tourism industry under effective COVID-19 control and prevention measures.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has commended relevant agencies and the Thai people for making Thailand one of the best destinations for travelers. He also assured that the government would be ready to listen to all constructive feedback in order to draft policies that benefit everyone.
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