World Bank sees two-year recovery
Thailand's economy could take as long as two years to return to pre-pandemic output, says World Bank economist Arvind Nair. "We expect a two-year recovery to return to normal economic output, but not necessarily growth." The World Bank estimates 8.3 million workers in Thailand have been affected by the crisis and the middle class has shrunk from 50.6% of all households to 38.4% in the first half of 2020. According to World Bank economist Francesca Lamanna, countries with strong social assistance programmes and social registries were more easily able to scale up public assistance during the pandemic. "Countries also need to develop a stable financing scheme for social protection to sustain and finance all these programmes needed at the moment."
Source:Bangkok Post
July 15, 2020 22:41 UTC
DSI: Chinese bigwigs open illegal firms
(Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is looking into four Chinese companies suspected of setting up 40 firms illegally using Thai nominees. Police said the firms were traced to four Chinese companies operating businesses not meant to be operated by foreign nationals. The four Chinese companies either traded rice, dealt in real estate, constructed buildings or operated accommodation, all of which are prohibited from being run by foreign nationals. Apao was later granted citizenship, which was later used to register the four Chinese companies, according to law enforcement. The DSI decided to investigate the case because the forging of identity documents constitute a security issue, Pol Lt Col Korrawat said.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 15, 2020 22:41 UTC
Only 'slim chance' of outbreak
Only 'slim chance' of outbreakThere is only a slim chance of an outbreak in Rayong after the unauthorised excursion by an Egyptian military delegation last week, according to the Disease Control Department. Department director-general, Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, confirmed yesterday that only one member of the 31-member visiting group had tested positive for Covid-19. Dr Suwannachai said because the infected soldier had always worn a mask and had not eaten at the mall he visited, there was minimal chance of a virus transmission. The infected soldier walked in a group of six to one mall only and four others went to CentralPlaza Rayong in a taxi. Dr Suwannachai said 413 other people faced a low risk of infection because they were in the mall at the same time.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 15, 2020 22:18 UTC
Challenging Germany, US opens way for sanctions on Russia pipeline
Challenging Germany, US opens way for sanctions on Russia pipelineSecretary of State Mike Pompeo threatens harsher measures against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline during a news conference at the State Department. WASHINGTON - Escalating pressure on Germany, US President Donald Trump's administration opened the way Wednesday for tough sanctions as the ally moves forward with the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline with Russia. Former US officials Brian O'Toole and Daniel Fried, now fellows at the Atlantic Council, said Pompeo's announcement appeared to be a "major escalation" over Nord Stream 2. Putin said in January that he hoped Nord Stream 2 would be completed by early 2021 after "several months" of delay caused by the US sanctions. Despite Trump's anger over Nord Stream 2, he has sought to build relations with Putin and has mused of inviting him to an expanded G7 summit.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 15, 2020 21:33 UTC
Millions face new virus curbs, but hope rises for US vaccine
Millions face new virus curbs, but hope rises for US vaccineHong Kong's bars, gyms, and beauty salons closed again and a ban on gatherings with more than four people came into forceWASHINGTON - Millions of people faced new coronavirus restrictions Wednesday as infections surged, but in one sign of hope, a US firm said it would soon start final-stage human trials for a possible vaccine. Parts of the Asia-Pacific region, which had been somewhat successful in fighting the pandemic, provided fresh evidence of the deadly threat still posed by the virus. There was alarm in Japan too, where Tokyo's governor warned that the capital was on its highest coronavirus alert level after a spike in infections. - 'Please stop' -That came after the Indian state of Bihar, with a population of around 125 million, announced a 15-day virus lockdown starting Thursday. Face masks will become compulsory in England's shops and supermarkets from next week, while South Africa reimposed a nationwide curfew to prevent a "coronavirus storm".
Source:Bangkok Post
July 15, 2020 18:00 UTC
Thais treated 'with contempt' over Egyptian visitors
Thais treated 'with contempt' over Egyptian visitorsThe opposition has lambasted the government after foreign nationals were allowed to enter Thailand without enforced quarantine. It obviously appeased some VIPs but it treated Thai people with contempt," the MP said. Besides diplomats and their families, all flights from foreign countries, including military aircraft, will have to follow those measures from now on, said the premier, who publicly criticised the Egyptian visitors for being irresponsible. "Is the prime minister willing to resign over the incident?" Responding on the prime minister's behalf, Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha said the 27 Egyptian military visitors were among the 11 groups of foreign nationals exempt from confined quarantine.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 15, 2020 12:45 UTC
1.9m sign up for domestic travel perk
1.9m sign up for domestic travel perkResidents in Khon Kaen signs up for a tourism stimulus package on the first day of registration on Wednesday. The quota is capped at 5 million hotel rooms. The registration process went smoothly without any server crashes as the system is based on the registration process of www.เราไม่ทิ้งกัน.com (“Nobody will be left behind” in Thai), allowing self-employed people to register to receive financial aid, said Mr Lavaron. There was a minor problem with delays on receiving a one-time password to enter for the registration process, with only a handful of people experiencing this issue, he said. When tourists travel by airlines, the government will refund 40% of the ticket price, but no more than 1,000 baht per seat and the quota is limited to 2 million seats.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 15, 2020 12:11 UTC
Somkid, his team to resign
Somkid, his team to resignDeputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak talks to executives of Government Savings Bank during his visit to the bank on Monday. (Photo by Arnun Chonmahatrakool)Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak and four other cabinet members will tender their resignations on Thursday after mounting pressure from the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) since the party's leadership reshuffle. Mr Uttama, Mr Sontirat, Mr Suvit and Mr Korbsak quit PPRP last Thursday to formally end ties with the party they had co-founded. Some party members demanded the resignation of Mr Somkid and his economic team after Gen Prawit took the helm. The four were brought into the economic team by Mr Somkid in the military government formed after the 2014 coup.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 15, 2020 11:37 UTC
Thai wine sisters take aim at booze monopoly
Thai wine sisters take aim at booze monopolyThis photo taken on June 26, 2020 shows employees planting new vines at GranMonte Vineyard and Winery in Nakhon Ratchasima. Now they're taking on the "unfair" booze laws critics say benefit the kingdom's billionaire booze monopolies. The kingdom's wine remains an outlier -- grapes grown in warmer temperatures tend to produce tannic wines, something that seasoned drinkers eschew. Online alcohol sales - which surged during the pandemic lockdown - are now in the regulators' crosshairs, potentially closing down another revenue route for small alcohol producers. As Ms Nikki tastes their recent batch of Syrah grapes kept in imported barrels, she says the challenges to start were numerous.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 15, 2020 09:11 UTC
Millions face new curbs, but vaccine hopes rise: Virus world update
Millions face new curbs, but vaccine hopes rise: Virus world updateHong Kong has made face masks compulsory on public transport as it battles a fresh coronavirus outbreak. Countries around the world re-imposed lockdowns and curbs to contain new outbreaks, as global cases surged past 13.2 million with more than 576,000 deaths. Parts of the Asia-Pacific region, which had been somewhat successful in fighting the pandemic, provided fresh evidence of the deadly threat still posed by the virus. That came after the Indian state of Bihar, with a population of around 125 million, announced a 15-day virus lockdown starting Thursday. Fauci had sounded the alarm last week, denouncing the hasty end to lockdowns and general carelessness of many Americans.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 15, 2020 07:07 UTC
Virus-hit North Macedonia votes as EU talks loom
Virus-hit North Macedonia votes as EU talks loomNorth Macedonia heads to the polls for an election that will decide the party to take on country's coronavirus outbreak and EU accession talksSKOPJE (REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA) - North Macedonia went to the polls on Wednesday in a tight parliamentary election where the winners will face a surging coronavirus outbreak and the start of talks to join the European Union. It is the first parliamentary election since the Balkan country added "North" to its name early last year, ending a decades-old dispute with Greece. The accord ushered the country into NATO and opened the door to the EU. The election pits an architect of the deal, Social Democrats leader and former prime minister Zoran Zaev, against the deal's harsh critics VMRO-DPMNE. Analysts say the party's return to power could damage relations with its neighbours and complicate looming EU accession talks.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 15, 2020 06:33 UTC
China's Hainan free-trade port plan off to fast start
Duty-free sales on Hainan island surged in July. (Reuters photo)Duty-free sales on China's island province of Hainan surged in the first week of July after Beijing raised the annual tax-free shopping limit for tourists as part of its new free-trade port plan. Cosmetics were the most popular duty free purchase, accounting for 51.3% of total duty-free sales, followed by jewellery with 14.1% and watches with 11.9%. Last year, shoppers made a total of 3.84 million purchases worth 13.61 billion yuan at Hainan's duty-free malls. Competitive prices also appear to be helping Hainan, particularly when compared to Hong Kong, once one of the top destinations for Chinese tourists to shop.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 15, 2020 06:11 UTC
Wednesday: 5 more returnees infected | Bangkok Post: learning
(Photo: Chanat Katanyu)The government on Wednesday reported five new cases of coronavirus disease, all quarantined returnees. One of them was a woman aged 48 who arrived from the US on Saturday and was quarantined in Bangkok. She tested positive on Monday. They were ill on arrival and tested positive at a quarantine area of Suvarnabhumi airport. They tested positive on Monday, 11 days after arrival, but remained asymptomatic.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 15, 2020 06:00 UTC
A bridge too far | Bangkok Post: learning
Photo courtesy of MPicturesStudents film themselves doing scary stuffThe new horror movie from Taiwan, The Bridge Curse, is about a group of university students. They've heard that the steps leading up to a bridge on campus are haunted by the ghost of a girl who killed herself there. The 13 steps to the bridge become 14 steps at midnight, and if you turn around before you reach the top you'll disappear. When a group of friends livestream themselves on the bridge, things get spooky. Find out if they live or die when The Bridge Curse opens in cinemas from July 16.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 15, 2020 05:26 UTC
PM orders end to virus 'privileges' | Bangkok Post: learning
He ordered the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to review Covid-19 restrictions to find loopholes in disease control measures. Besides diplomats and their families, flights from foreign countries, including military aircraft, will have to follow these measures, Prayut said. As a result, 1,889 local people who went to the same malls as the Egyptian who tested positive now face home quarantine. The diplomat - the Sudanese attaché whose daughter tested positive - and family had been staying in Bangkok at the One X condominium building, which has 329 rooms -- 200 of them occupied. Fifteen other people who used the same elevator the family used were deemed at low risk of infection, he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 15, 2020 01:30 UTC