A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand

[yinyang]

Lowest number of cases in a month raises hopes of easing lockdown restrictions
National
Apr 21. 2020

With 19 new cases confirmed over a 24-hour period, Thailand had its best day this month in the battle against Covid-19. The number of Covid-19 patients in the country increased to 2,811while there was one death, Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman of the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said on Tuesday (April 21).

Total fatalities stood at 48, while 2,108 patients have recovered and returned to their homes and 655 are undergoing treatment in hospitals.

Tuesday’s sharp fall in the number of cases offered more proof that the Covid-19 curve in the country might be flattening, and could pave the way for an easing of the nationwide lockdown.

On April 9 there were 54 new cases, 50 on April 10, 45 on April 11, 33 on April 12, 28 on April 13, 34 on April 14, 30 on April 15, 29 on April 16, 28 on April 17, 33 on April 18 , 32 on April 19 and 27 on April 20.

“The declining number today is the outcome of efforts to contain the virus in the past 14 days,” he said.

The report comes as the government and the private sector look at the possibilities of easing some lockdown restrictions.

 

[spotter542]

Sinkie gahmen is such a letdown
Guess the Thais are very co-operative and socially responsible to achieve such results

 

[yinyang]

 

[yinyang]

Handout bt5k now extended reach to 14mil (from 9mil before or +50%)

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30386494?utm_source=category&utm_medium=internal_referral

Bt5,000 giveaway to cover 14 million people now
National
Apr 21. 2020

By THE NATION

The Cabinet on Tuesday (April 21) approved the Finance Ministry’s proposal to offer the Bt5,000 relief to 14 million people instead of just 9 million, the government’s deputy spokesperson Rachada Thanadirek said.

The ministry will also increase the budget for the scheme from Bt45 billion to Bt210 billion.

The government has offered eligible citizens whose livelihoods have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 outbreak Bt5,000 per month for three months from April 8 onwards.

 

[yinyang]

Thought this was a novel idea to mask up the deaf and mute

Masks to help the deaf communicate
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 21 APR 2020 AT 19:38

The masks are put on display at the briefing on Tuesday. (MCOT photo)

The government has unveiled a face mask designed specifically for people who are hearing impaired, with the goal of making their lives easier during the virus outbreak.
People who communicate using sign language with the hearing-impaired also read lips and facial movements to get the full message. But with facemasks obscuring the lips, communication is hindered, said Anira Thinon, deputy director-general of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

The mask is designed with a transparent window in the middle, which is large enough to reveal lip movements, she said, adding that the design was adapted from similar face masks for the deaf used in other countries.

The special masks are produced with the standard three-layered cloth which can effectively keep respiratory droplets from spreading, she said.
The masks are very important for not only deaf people but also sign language interpreters and others who have to communicate regularly with people with hearing impairments, she said.

• Masks to help the deaf communicate
• Product presenter caught selling over-priced face masks
• Flickers of joy in China's virus ground zero mask deep fears

Ms Anira said the department plans to begin producing the special face masks later this month for free distribution to sign language interpreters and poor deaf people. Some of them will be put on sale as well, she added.

The department also urges members of the public to donate materials for producing the special face masks for the deaf, so that it can supply them free to all of those in need, she said.

Ms Anira said the department is also launching an online tutorial on how to make face masks for the deaf.
The department has further opened a Facebook page dedicated to selling products made by people with disabilities. There are about 382,000 deaf people in the country.

 

[yinyang]

ST's commentary on Prayut's reaching out to 20 richest guys.

Thai PM's appeal to billionaires casts spotlight on their privileges

Tan Hui Yee
Indochina Bureau Chief

Straits Times PUBLISHED
3 HOURS AGO

Speculation is rife about who among Thailand's billionaires will be called up by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha after he said he would invite the kingdom's 20 richest people to join his government in easing pandemic-induced hardship.
The abrupt conscription, first announced on television last Friday, was met with ridicule and contempt, with the government bearing the brunt of criticism.

To critics, it was an admission that the government had run out of money or ideas - or both. To analysts, it was a glaring example of the special treatment accorded to Thailand's biggest conglomerates, which are expected to weather the looming recession far better than millions of struggling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

"The biggest message he sent was that the government gives more importance to big business. That is a dangerous message because SMEs are suffering more," said Thammasat University associate professor of international business Pavida Pananond.
"It raises the issue of cronyism, of the government granting direct access to companies that already talk to the government," she said. "This is basically giving cronyism some steroids."
Even though it came from a former army chief and coup-maker, the appeal to Thailand's super rich seemed unusually blunt.

Speaking to the press yesterday, Mr Prayut denied the government was asking for money. "I know you have done many things so far, but I just want to know what else you can do. It's up to you. There's no competition, no compulsion or exchange of favours," he said. "Apart from these 20, I am willing to take advice from other people."

Thai social media erupted in outrage. If ideas were what the government wanted, people asked, why wasn't it turning to its own elected Members of Parliament?

On the medical front, Bangkok appears to be gaining control of the coronavirus outbreak. As Thailand enters its fourth week under the state of emergency, new daily infections have steadied at around 30 or fewer. But its economy is expected to shrink 6.7 per cent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Inequality, a nagging issue flagged by the World Bank last month, looks set to widen, observes Dr Pananond.
The emergency decree expires on April 30. Bangkok, which was initially criticised for being too slow to close its borders, now has to figure out how to release the brakes slowly enough to dodge a second wave of infections.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (fourth from left) visiting the Thammasat University Field Hospital on Sunday. While Thailand is gaining control of the coronavirus situation, its economy could shrink 6.7 per cent this year. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

To critics, it was an admission that the government had run out of money or ideas - or both. To analysts, it was a glaring example of the special treatment accorded to Thailand's biggest conglomerates, which are expected to weather the looming recession far better than millions of struggling small and medium-sized enterprises.

Chulalongkorn University political scientist Pitch Pongsawat said the coalition government will lose legitimacy if it chooses to extend the state of emergency. "Prayut needs a consensus with big business," he said. "He really needs to seek their approval for his next measures."

Thailand's tycoons - like the Chearavanont brothers behind the Charoen Pokphand group and who top the Forbes country wealth charts with US$27.3 billion (S$39 billion) - have a longstanding symbiotic relationship with the ruling establishment.

Mr Prayut's unusual roll call could prove his government's undoing in the future if the tycoons feel they have been cornered into making too many concessions, say analysts.

 

[melzp]

that submarine can feed 2.7 mil ppl.(13,500,000,000 by 5000).. And surveillance on
Andaman or S. China Sea ? Not wise to purchase; though having a very long coastline.

Sg purchase? No need to think. Too much $$ to showcase.

 

[yinyang]

All time low today

New Covid-19 cases in Thailand down to 15
National
Apr 22. 2020

Thailand had its best day in weeks battling Covid-19 with only 15 confirmed cases being reported over a 24-hour period, while one patient died.

The total Covid-19 cases increased to 2,826, Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman of the government's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said on Wednesday (April 22).

The cases can be divided into two groups.

The first group of 10 had close contact with others previously confirmed as infected.

The second group comprised five people of whom one had visited a crowded area, three worked in a crowded area, and one had return from overseas.

Meanwhile, 244 people have fully recovered and returned to their homes.

A 50-year-old female housemaid who had diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity became the 49th fatality. She was in close contact with her daughter who was infected with Covid-19. Her symptoms showed up on March 20 and she was admitted to a hospital on March 22.


Only 14 provinces have reported new cases in the last seven days; Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Phuket, Chonburi, Yala, Pattani, Songkhla, Krabi, Narathiwat, Khon Kaen, Chumphon, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani and Ayutthaya.

As of April 22, the total number of confirmed cases in the country stood at 2,826 -- 425 are under treatment, 2352 have recovered and been discharged, and there have been 49 deaths.

Globally, there are more than 2.56 million confirmed cases and around 177,000 deaths

 

[yinyang]

Flip side of the low virus nos, hardship for many ordinary khun thais. Big social divide reality, with many living hand to mouth.
See sad pics of people lining up for food giveaways here.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...ok-jobless-aid-food-economy-handouts-12667040

Queues for food as COVID-19 pandemic causes pain for jobless Thais
Thailand's export- and tourism-reliant economy is forecast to see a contraction of 6.7 per cent this year. (Photo: AFP/Lillian Suwanrumpha)
22 Apr 2020 05:41PM(Updated: 22 Apr 2020 05:44PM)

BANGKOK: Long lines of unemployed relying on free food across Bangkok, scrambles for cash handouts and fishing in fetid canals - Thais are getting increasingly desperate as the COVID-19 pandemic destroys the economy and the government struggles to respond.
About 27 million informal workers - who lost their jobs in the tourism, entertainment, food and service sectors - have applied for a monthly cash handout from the government, though only half have received approval.

READ: Thailand PM asks rich for help with coronavirus fall-out

Hundreds stood in line for food donations in Bangkok's historic quarter. (Photo: AFP/Lillian Suwanrumpha)

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha has also issued conflicting information on how long the state can afford to give people 5,000 baht (US$150) a month.

A spirit of volunteerism has filled the gaps left by the state.

"The government hasn't helped me with anything," said Chare Kunwong, a 46-year-old masseur who caters to tourists - a revenue stream that dried up with COVID-19's stranglehold on global travel.
WATCH: Demand for COVID-19 insurance policies jump in Thailand

A spirit of volunteerism has filled the gaps left by the state. (Photo: AFP/Lillian Suwanrumpha)

He stood in line alongside hundreds on Wednesday (Apr 22) in Bangkok's historic quarter, waiting to receive food donations of rice, noodles, milk and curry packets.

"If I wait for the government's aid then I'll be dead first," he told AFP.
An hour north of Bangkok in Pathum Thani province, a growing number of locals are fishing in a murky canal in the hopes of easing food shortages, Thai media reported.

The tanking economy has also led to Thais flocking to sell their gold jewellery, as the price for the precious metal spikes across the world.
READ: Gold glitters as cash-strapped Thais sell jewellery amid COVID-19 pandemic

Thai people are getting increasingly desperate as the pandemic destroys the economy. (Photo: AFP/Lillian Suwanrumpha)

Angry scenes have erupted at the finance ministry in recent days, as protesters demanded answers on being shut out of the government's cash handout scheme.

Thailand's export- and tourism-reliant economy is forecast to see a contraction of 6.7 per cent this year, its lowest GDP figures since 1998.

Families affected by unemployment following lockdown measures to halt the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus line up for food donations at Wat Bowonniwetwiharn in Bangkok on Wednesday. (AFP photo)

 

[yinyang]

Visa of stranded foreigners extended till July 31
National
Apr 22. 2020

The government has offered the second automatic visa extension for foreigners who are stranded in the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Thai Cabinet on Wednesday (April 22) approved the automatic visa extension, Natapanu Nopakun, deputy spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said.

Foreigners whose visa expired after March 26, will be permitted to stay until July 31, without having to apply for an extension.

There is no need to submit documents, pay fees or do 90-day reporting.

Many foreigners are stranded in Thailand due partly to flight cancellations and lockdown restrictions imposed by many governments. Thailand also has banned flights except special flights allowed by the government.

 

[melzp]

Tons of fishes in the Chao Phys River should be fished out to feed the needy at this time.
Forget about the religion factor.
If you had been to those jettys there, you will know what I mean.

 

[yinyang]

Thailand logs 13 new Covid-19 cases, 1 death Thursday
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 23 APR 2020 AT 11:48
UPDATED: 23 APR 2020 AT 12:44

Novice monks wearing face shields and protective face masks attend a lesson at Wat Molilokayaram monastic educational institute in Bangkok on Wednesday. (Reuters photo)

The government on Thursday reported 13 new coronavirus (Covid-19) patients, raising the total to 2,839, and one more death, that of an elderly Thai woman first admitted to hospital for an unrelated complaint. The accumulated death toll now stands at 50.

The tally of new cases is two lower than the 15 recorded on Wednesday. It is the lowest since March 14, and marks the fifth consecutive day of declines. Because of limited testing, however, the actual number of infections is believed to be higher.
Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman of the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said that the late 78-year-old woman first went to a hospital in Bangkok with a urinary tract infection on March 21.

On March 24 she developed a fever and pneumonia and later tested positive for Covid-19.
On April 5 her condition worsened. She died on Tuesday from a bloodstream infection and respiratory failure.

• Thursday: 13 new Covid-19 cases, 1 more death
• 33 new cases, no deaths, total 2,733
• Phuket: One new infection, Covid cases total 197

“Although elderly people accounted for a small proportion of infections, they were the greatest number of fatalities,” Dr Taweesilp said while expressing condolences to the families of death cases.,

Dr Taweesilp said the lower number of new cases is good news for the Covid-19 situation in the country but people must continue to take precautions for their own protection.
“If we lower our guard even a bit, the number of infection cases can soar to five digits like in some countries,” he said.

Screenshot from https://covid19.ddc.moph.go.th/en

The new cases included five people who had come into close contact with previous patients in Bangkok, Chon Buri, Songkhla and Chumphon.
Others included three cases tested pre-emptively in Phuket province, two people who worked in crowded places and closely with foreigners, one returnee, one visitor to crowded areas and one patient tested before an operation.

Bangkok had the highest number of Covid-19 patients at 1,454, followed by 197 in Phuket, 152 in Nonthaburi, 109 in Samut Prakan, 95 in Yala, 79 in Pattani, 86 in Chon Buri, 43 in Songkhla, 40 in Chiang Mai and 36 in Pathum Thani province.
Nine provinces remained free of Covid-19 cases: Ang Thong, Bung Kan, Chai Nat, Kamphaeng Phet, Nan, Phitchit, Ranong, Sing Buri and Trat.
Nine other provinces had not recorded a new Covid-19 case in the past 28 days: Chanthaburi, Lop Buri, Maha Sarakham, Phetchabun, Phrae, Roi Et, Sukhothai, Uthai Thani and Yasothon. Thirty-two provinces had not reported a new case in the past 14 days.
A further 78 people were on Thursday reported to have recovered, raising the total to 2,430, while hospitalised patients amounted to 359, Dr Taweesilp said.
fff
Screenshot from https://covid19.ddc.moph.go.th/en

• Government map of coronavirus cases across Thailand

 

[yinyang]

Govt ‘cautiously’ brings back stranded Thais
National
Apr 23. 2020

By The Nation

Even though it has arranged four flights to bring back Thais stranded overseas, government says it still being cautious and will ensure each returnee undergoes a 14-day state-imposed quarantine.

The number of confirmed cases in Thailand has also been dropping significantly over the past few days, with only 13 new Covid-19 infections confirmed on Thursday (April 23).

Meanwhile, two flights landed in Bangkok on Thursday, bringing back 144 Thais stranded in Malaysia and 55 stuck in Turkey.

Two flights have been scheduled for Friday. They will bring 171 Thais from India, 104 of whom are Buddhist monks, and 31 from Japan.

Natapanu Nopakun, deputy spokesperson at the Foreign Ministry, said Thai embassies have been providing food and necessities to locals stranded overseas due to the banning of all incoming flights until the end of this month.

Separately, Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman of the government's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), has been repeatedly reminding people and the authorities to be cautious as new cases could spike like in Singapore if restrictions are eased too early or if people stop practising social distancing.

 

[yinyang]

15 new Covid-19 cases close to Thursday's lowest number in a month
National
Apr 24. 2020

Thailand continued to make gains in containing the Covid-19 outbreak with 15 new cases confirmed over a 24-hour period and no death, Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman of the government's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said on Friday (April 24).

He said Friday's number was close to Thursday's 13 -- the least number of new cases in a month since the peak of 188 on March 22.

The number of fatalities remained at 50, while 2,490 patients have recovered and returned to their homes and 314 are undergoing treatment in hospitals. Cumulative cases since the outbreak reached 2,854.

In the last two weeks, new cases have been generally on a downward trend.

On April 9 there were 54 new cases, 50 on April 10, 45 on April 11, 33 on April 12, 28 on April 13, 34 on April 14, 30 on April 15, 29 on April 16 ,28 on April 17, 33 on April 18, 32 April 19, 27 on April 22, 19 on April 21 and 15 on April 22 and 13 on Thursday.

 

[yinyang]

 

[yinyang]

Blip today, with bulk due to Songkla migrant workers (upped testing). Lesson also from Sinkie bad experience

Thailand logs 53 new cases, one death
Active case finding stepped up after 42 detained migrants found infected in Songkhla
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 25 APR 2020 AT 14:05

Soldiers help to load equipment, including pressure chambers to treat Covid-19 patients, onto a truck. Donated by King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, the equipment will be delivered to various hospitals. (Photo by Varuth Hirunyatheb)

The government on Saturday reported one Covid-19 death and 53 new infections — 42 of them migrant workers in Songkhla — bringing the total to 2,907 and fatalities to 51.

The death was a 48-year-old Thai man who had been in contact with a previously reported case. His brother worked at an entertainment place and was infected, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said on Saturday.
The 53 new cases were the most reported in a single day since April 9. Forty-two of them were migrants who had been detained at the immigration centre in Songkhla for illegal entry. They were from Myanmar (34), Vietnam (3), Malaysia (2), Yemen (1), Cambodia (1) and India (1). The infections were discovered during active case finding.

Dr Taweesilp said people in Songkhla need not worry about the risk since the group in question were detained and were being closely monitored.
Another four new cases involved people who had been in contact with existing patients (3) and a person who went to a crowded place, said Dr Taweesilp.

• Saturday: 53 new Covid cases, one more death
• Thursday: 13 new Covid-19 cases, 1 more death
• Friday: 15 new virus cases, no new deaths

The remaining seven cases were discovered by active case finding in Yala province.

• Covid-19 Situation Reports

Of the 2,907 total cases in 68 provinces, 2,547 have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. A total of 309 are being treated at hospitals, the doctor said.

A jump in new cases in Singapore and the addition of five countries — Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia and Myanmar — to the dangerous zone list have led to a more proactive approach, which includes active case finding, said Dr Taweesilp. Up until now, the list consisted of four countries — South Korea, China (including Macau and Hong Kong), Italy and Iran.

Singapore has seen skyrocketing growth in infections, with more than 6,000 new cases in the past week, almost all of them among migrant labourers living in crowded dormitories that health authorities had all but overlooked earlier. The city-state registered 618 new infections on Saturday, taking the total number to 12,693.

Diplomatic and economic experts are calling on all countries in the region to step up screening of migrant workers in the future to prevent the transmission of diseases like Covid-19.

Meanwhile, more Thais are scheduled to arrive home on Saturday from Iran (21) and India (171). On Sunday, 212 more will arrive from Australia, Dr Taweesilp said.

By province, Bangkok led with 1,459 cases, followed by Phuket (201) and Nonthaburi (152). By region, the South led with 656 cases, followed by the Central Plains (366), Northeast (108) and the North (95).
The youngest patient was one month old and the oldest was 97. The average age of Covid-19 patients was 40. The highest number of infections was found among those aged 20-29, said Dr Taweesilp.

 

[yinyang]

Thai military slashes budgets amid backlash
Straits Times 26/4

Move follows criticism against plan to buy arms even as millions suffer during pandemic
Hathai Techakitteranun Thailand Correspondent In Bangkok

Thailand's armed forces have made budget cuts and suspended artillery purchases, as millions of Thais suffering from the adverse economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak await cash handouts from the government.
The Thai army was the latest branch of the armed forces to slash its 2020 budget last Wednesday by about 10 billion baht (S$439 million), out of the total of 18 billion baht cut by the Defence Ministry.
It also halved its planned 900 million baht procurement of more than 100 Stryker armoured infantry carriers from the United States and suspended purchases of other artillery, army spokesman Winthai Suvaree told a press briefing.

"It's a high figure compared with other ministries. All the non-committal budgets have been cut," said Colonel Winthai. The government has asked each ministry to cut its non-urgent and non-committal spending by at least 10 per cent.
The army's announcement came amid a huge backlash against its plan to continue to procure more armaments. A document signed last Monday to procure 50 armoured vehicles and related technical services worth 4.5 billion baht was found on the website of the procurement unit of the army's ordnance department.

The Thai-language hashtag - with a mild translation of "armoured vehicle your father", belying its expletive connotations - was the country's top trending hashtag on Twitter earlier last week, with more than 600,000 tweets in less than 24 hours.

Many criticised the decision in the light of reports of millions of people struggling to survive while being left out of the government's 5,000 baht a month relief programme.

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"It is very bad timing. It shows a lack of sensitivity and understanding of the plight and suffering of the people during this hard time," said Dr Prajak Kongkirati, a political scientist at Thammasat University.
Acknowledging the backlash, deputy army spokesman Sirichan Ngathong said: "There have been various opinions expressed on social media that are not based on facts. Please extend fairness to the army, which is determined to transfer a part of our budget to help the people.
"It is clear that the army is one of the top agencies working to protect and take care of the people amid the Covid-19 situation."

She cited how the army has been spraying disinfectant at various places, delivering relief packages and manning checkpoints.
On April 18, the navy announced a whopping 33 per cent, or 4.1 billion baht, cut from its 2020 budget, while postponing its purchase of two submarines from China worth 22 billion baht to next year.

In the same week, the air force announced a cut of 23 per cent, or 3.3 billion baht, from its budget and the deferment of purchases of at least 14 aircraft worth a combined 7.64 billion baht to next year.
The growing defence budget since the 2006 coup and the artillery purchasing spree since the 2014 coup have been heavily scrutinised and criticised in recent years, due in part to the now defunct Future Forward Party's campaigns for military reform.
The defence budget doubled from 85.9 billion baht in 2006 to 170 billion baht in 2009, and continued to grow to 227 billion baht last year. This year's budget declined by 0.1 per cent following pressure by the opposition.

Defence Ministry spokesman Kongcheep Tantravanich told The Sunday Times the budget has largely stabilised when compared with the country's gross domestic product, and that Thailand had the capacity to acquire more armaments to increase its defence capabilities during normal times.
"It is common that as a country grows, its defence has to be strengthened. We are not buying more than we need," he said.
Saying the cuts were a result of a "reluctant" decision amid growing pressure, Dr Paul Chambers, an expert on the Thai army at Naresuan University, added: "The real reason the military wants more weapons and a larger budget is to enhance its relative power over other bureaucracies and expand and sustain the clout across the country."

Despite the budget cuts and the deferred armament purchases, analysts say the move is too little too late in terms of restoring public trust in the army.

 

[yinyang]

Thailand logs 15 new Covid cases, no new deaths Sunday
PUBLISHED : 26 APR 2020 AT 12:29
WRITER: REUTERS

A girl wearing a plastic face shield joins people lining up for food and cash donations from Red Path Party, a political organisation, in Bangkok on Saturday, as Thai citizens are affected by the restrictive measure related to the Covid-19 novel coronavirus. (AFP photo)

The government on Sunday reported 15 new coronavirus cases and no new deaths, bringing the total number of cases in Thailand since its outbreak in January to 2,922 cases and 51 deaths.
The number of new cases was a sharp drop from the 53 recorded on Saturday.
Of the new cases, four were linked to previous cases, another four had no known links, while five new patients are arrivals from overseas who have been under state quarantine.


Two other new cases were reported from the southern province of Yala, where the authorities are aggressively testing the population because of high infection rates there, said Taweesilp Visanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
Since the outbreak in Thailand, 2,594 patients have recovered and gone home.

• Sunday: 15 new Covid cases, no new deaths
• Thailand reports 32 new coronavirus cases, no new deaths
• Saturday: 53 new Covid cases, one more death

-- More to follow --

Screenshot from https://covid19.ddc.moph.go.th/en

Screenshot from https://covid19.ddc.moph.go.th/en

 

[yinyang]

Covid-19 cases drop to single digit – 9
National
Apr 27. 2020

The number of Covid-19 patients in Thailand rose to 2,931, with nine new cases confirmed over a 24-hour period and one new death, Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman of the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said today (April 27).

He said today is the first day the number of new cases has dropped below 10 – the lowest since its peak of 188 on March 22.

With one new death, the number of fatalities is now 52, while 2,609 patients have recovered and returned home. The other 270 are undergoing treatment in hospital.

No new case was reported in Bangkok in the past 24 hours.

The cases can be divided into three groups:

One group of three had come into close contact with previous patients.

The other group comprised four people, who were discovered during an investigation operation in Yala.

The last group consisted of two who returned from the United States and were under state quarantine.

A 65-year-old woman who had anaemia died of acute kidney and respiratory failure on April 26. She had been in close contact with her family of five, all of whom were infected. She experienced breathing problems on April 2 and was confirmed on April 8 to have contracted Covid-19.

Meanwhile, 15 people have fully recovered and returned home.

Of the 9 new cases, five were in Yala, two in Bangkok’s state quarantine, one each in Phuket and Suphan Buri

Today, a number of Thais will return from abroad – 35 from Japan, 25 from the Netherlands and 168 students from New Zealand. Tomorrow, 12 Thais from Spain and 200 from India will come back home.

 

[yinyang]

Emergency decree extended
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 27 APR 2020 AT 13:05

The area around the Grand Place was already quiet on Wednesday night, even before the night curfew started at 10pm. (Photo by Arnun Chonmahatrakool)

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Monday decided to extend the Emergency Decree for another month after it expires on April 30.

CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said on Monday the decree will be extended to the end of May.
The reason is concern about the return of the virus, with the centre still battling to stop it spreading any further.

The decision means the night curfew from 10pm-4am will continue, no social gatherings allowed and only limited inter-provincial travel, among other restrictions, Dr Taweesilp said.
The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and brought together all agencies to discuss the impact of the decree.

• Emergency decree extended
• Vaccine distant, so 'restrictions crucial'
• Prayut: Reopening businesses must be balanced against risk

The National Security Council told the meeting that it surveyed public opinion, and it favoured the extension of the decree, Dr Taweelsilp said. He gave no other details of the survey.