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From Channel News Asia Thai hospital ordered to stop advertising sale of COVID-19 vaccine BANGKOK: A private Thai hospital was ordered on Sunday (Dec 27) to stop advertising COVID-19 vaccinations for sale in advance on the grounds that no vaccine is yet approved in Thailand. Vibhavadi Hospital told Reuters its online offer for 1,000 initial reservations for the two-dose Moderna vaccine had been the result of a misunderstanding. With reservations priced at 4,000 baht, the total cost of getting vaccinated would have been 10,000 baht (US$330). As the first governments begin vaccine rollouts around the world, questions have been raised over how the limited supplies are prioritised and whether people will be able to pay to jump the queue. The Ministry of Health said in a statement that no COVID-19 vaccine had been approved for use in Thailand yet and that advertising one violated hospital regulations. "The removal of the advertisement was ordered," it said. In August, Moderna said it was pricing its vaccine at US$32 to US$37 per dose for smaller deals. Thailand is a major hub for medical tourism, drawing patients from Asia, the Middle East and beyond. Source: Reuters/zl

From Bangkok Post Nopparat Boonrat shows his silver medal at the FISU World University Cheerleading Championship in Poland in 2018. (Photo supplied) BURI RAM: Police summonsed three young men aged 20-23 for allegedly assaulting a native of this northeastern province, a man renowned as a dancer and who received an award at an international cheerleading championship. Police planned to charge the three -- whose names were withheld -- with severely injuring Nopparat Boonrat, 23, at a restaurant in Lahan Sai district last Wednesday night. Police at Ban Kruad station said that two of the three suspects had just been released from jail after committing drug offences. The victim is a student at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and was the first runner-up in the Hip Hop Doubles competition at FISU World University Cheerleading Championship in Poland in 2018. He has previously performed dance routines for many famous singers. A group of about five men reportedly attacked the man as he was eating at the restaurant with his elder brother. He was kicked, punched and repeatedly hit in the head with bottles and a chair. His skull was cracked. The victim was admitted to Buriram Hospital, where he was awaiting brain scans. He was able to speak and eat but was suffering from a headache. On Saturday, his mother Kanchana Puwonpa, 40, said in tears that Mr Nopparat returned from Bangkok to visit his family and she did not know why he was assaulted by strangers. She said she was worried that her son may not be able to dance again.

When I left Bangkok last February, all the venues in Patpong and Silom were experiencing noticeable declines in attendance. People were reacting in the same way they are now out of a healthy dose of fear. When the government gets a handle of the current outbreak, this will reverse itself among the locals but it will do nothing to attract international tourists. Today's Thaiger carried an article about a new website launched by the TAT to simplify the booking of ASQ hotels in the hope that it would encourage more arrivals. One look, however, at the booking process tells the tale of why the people needed to save the hospitality sector are not following through.

From The Thaiger Debate is raging on social media following a claim from the Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, that Thailand’s plan to orbit the Moon is going ahead. Anek Laothamatas adds that it will be “mission accomplished” within the next 7 years, costing, “only 3 billion baht”. A report in the Bangkok Post says that, according to Anek, Thailand will be producing satellites weighing 50–100 kilograms within 5 years, and in the following 3 years, will start building spaceships capable of going beyond the Earth’s orbit. He says we can all look forward to an official announcement on January 13. “The new economy of space travel will be a way for Thailand to overcome the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and then to escape the middle-income trap, and the ministry will embrace creativity and innovation.” Anek’s announcement has sparked debate on social media, with some saying the poverty and other social issues facing their fellow countrymen should take priority. Others defend Thailand’s right to develop a space exploration program in line with what other countries are doing. Here’s two opposing views shared on Twitter:

With 10 months of deprivation now, I'll gladly settle for smirk, smile or anything in between.

From The Thaiger ===================================================== From Thai Examiner PM criticises employers for using cheap, illegal migrant labour as officials remain on high alert Thai officials are still holding out hope that a nationwide lockdown can be avoided as the Prime Minister has signalled his displeasure at the kingdom’s employers who put the country at risk because of greed. It comes as the government has introduced a colour-coded system to help the public to understand the extent of the threat in highlighted provinces where vigilance is required. One of these, notably, is Bangkok. Prime Minister Prayut Chan ocha has excoriated employers who brought illegal migrant workers into Thailand to exploit them for cheap labour. General Prayut revealed that the government is looking at upgrading the system for the registration of migrant labour after the outbreak in Samut Sakhon, last weekend, has exposed the underbelly of Thai industries which are dependent on cheap foreign labour. The PM made it clear that he does not blame the migrant workers who, he pointed out on Thursday, must be provided for and treated in this current emergency. He blamed the employers and said that those responsible should be ashamed of themselves.

How can a massage guy be a "soft" top?

From Bangkok Post Tourism gloom 'won't improve' There is little hope of attracting international arrivals during the first quarter of next year as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread in Thailand, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says. Mr Phiphat said on Wednesday there is no need for the country to tighten travel restrictions on foreign passengers from the UK or other countries because there's no demand from tourists to visit Thailand at this time. The bid to lure international travellers by launching Special Tourist Visas (STVs) to attract long-stay tourists received a lukewarm feedback. He said tourism may restart after international flights return to normal which could occur in April, driven by the Songkran festival. Even though many countries have received vaccines and started to inoculate their residents, he said Thailand, which is scheduled to have its first jabs by the middle of next year, won't rush down the same path. "The Public Health Ministry is quite serious about the decision to wait and see the side effects thoroughly. We don't have to be a Covid vaccine guinea pig," Mr Phiphat said. He also said Thailand will get sufficient vaccine doses for everyone as the government has funds prepared.

From Coconuts Bangkok 45 day visa approved With a wave of the administrative wand, Thailand’s 30-day visas are now 45-day visas. The cabinet yesterday approved the addition of another 15 days to the usual month-long visas – two weeks of quarantine still required – for those coming to travel or do business, government spokesperson Traisulee Traisornranakul announced. The change applies to passport-holders from countries or territories with bilateral visa-exempt agreements such as Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the United States and Hong Kong. The change will be in effect until November 2021. Still, a lot of boxes need to be checked before flying in. Travelers need to obtain certificates of entry in advance from their Thai embassy or consulate, book quarantine hotel stays and acquire at least US$100,000 in health insurance. They must also test negative for COVID-19 and get a fit-to-fly certificate 72 hours before departure.

From Coconuts Bangkok Amid rising alarm over hundreds of new coronavirus transmissions in recent days, mostly among migrant seafood industry laborers at a fresh market southwest of Bangkok, health officials said today they found another 39 related cases spread through 17 provinces. Cases have now been found in at least 23 provinces plus the capital, from Songkhla to Chiang Mai and Tak to Nakhon Ratchasima. In Bangkok, 11 people have now been found to have become infected, including another 28 infections found in provinces. Taweesilp Wissanuyothin of the Disease Control Department did not go into further detail this morning about the 11 Bangkok cases. Seven other cases were also detected in state quarantine. At today’s news conference, Taweesilp urged the public against xenophobia. “Please do not forget that migrant workers help drive our country’s economy, whether they are legal or not,” he said. Mahachai is home to a large population of workers from Myanmar, where an outbreak has been raging since August.

From Thai Enquirer Thailand says no nationwide lockdown yet Thailand’s government said on Thursday that it had discovered 67 new coronavirus cases outside of migrant dormitories with 58 local infections and 8 cases inside state quarantine. The government said that the number of cases inside migrant dormitories had risen to 1,273 cases. Despite the increasing number of cases, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha told the nation that the government was still not ordering a nationwide lockdown and was instead dividing the nation into administrative zones. Prayut said that the Ministry of Public Health reaffirmed to him that it can still control the situation but added that the government needed the public’s cooperation. The public must be responsible to keep the numbers down, Prayut said. Administrative zones The government, according to spokesman Dr Thaweesin Visanuyothin, said that they would be dividing the country into four types of zones and the public response measures will depend on which zones the provinces are located in. The four areas are, in descending order of severity, as follows : Highly controlled area (many cases in multiple areas) controlled area (over ten cases with the likelihood to increase) the highly monitored area (less than ten cases) monitored area (no cases) The government said that it would keep factories and agricultural industries running as long as possible to minimize the second wave’s impact on the economy. However, this was subject to change depending on the situation. The government also said that all information would be centralized under the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration as the press have been reporting unverified facts and spreading panic. New Years For new years’ celebration, all celebrations are canceled in highly controlled areas except for online celebrations. Controlled areas can have limited private celebrations with limited participants. Highly monitored areas and monitored areas can have celebrations but parties must be smaller than normal and observer social distancing. ================================================= From Khaosod English You Can Donate to Migrants, Health Workers in Samut Sakhon SAMUT SAKHON — Members of the public, including expats, can donate both money and medical equipment to migrant workers and frontline medical professionals in Samut Sakhon, where many are grappling with the new wave of coronavirus cases. As of Thursday, 1,273 infections were found in Samut Sakhon province over the past week. The cluster was traced by health officials to the Mahachai Market’s shrimp section. The Red Cross is collecting donations for care packages for migrant workers under quarantine in Samut Sakhon. According to rights activists, both healthy and infected workers are being locked together and unable to work for their salaries, as prices of basic necessities skyrocket. Donate to the Thai Red Cross for Disaster Relief account at Kasikorn Bank, account number 001-1-34567-0 to contribute. When donating, you can add a note either in Thai or English to specify the donations be used to aid migrant workers affected by COVID-19 in Samut Sakhon.

Convenient location on Suan Phlu. https://icomemassage.wixsite.com/i-comemassage

What the government is reluctant to acknowledge is that the economy can not survive without massive supplies of migrant labor, chiefly from Myanmar. The following article from Dec. 20 illustrates the scale of the need. The elites who are the employers and beneficiaries of this influx remain untouchable and unaccountable From Bangkok Post 100,000 migrants waiting to re-enter CHIANG RAI: About 100,000 migrant workers from Myanmar are waiting to return to Thailand as the government is urged to allow them in but regulate their arrival. The news came on Saturday during a seminar to mark International Migrants Day, which falls on Dec 18 each year. The event was hosted by Mae Fa Luang University's School of Social Innovation in Chiang Rai. Suebsakun Kidnukorn, an academic with the university's area-based social innovation research centre, said there are about 24,000 registered migrant workers in Chiang Rai, excluding children, the elderly and undocumented workers. Mr Suebsakun said migrant workers have played an important part in developing Chiang Rai's economy, adding many are now having a hard time crossing the border due to Covid-19 restrictions. As a result, many workers are left stranded along the border, he said, adding the civil sector has stepped in to help stranded Myanmar and Thai migrant workers on both sides. Adisorn Koetmongkol, coordinator of the Migrant Working Group, said the government has not yet allowed migrant workers who had travelled home to return to Thailand. This prompted many migrant workers, particularly from Myanmar, to try entering the kingdom by sneaking across the border, Mr Adisorn said. The pandemic situation in Myanmar has remained severe, and many workers have not been able to find a job, he said. Even though the military has stepped up border surveillance to prevent illegal entry via natural passages, the situation is still worrying, Mr Adisorn noted. Instead of seeing them sneak back across the border, the government should allow them to come but regulate their arrival, adding about 100,000 migrant workers from Myanmar are waiting to return to Thailand. Their flow could be controlled with so many allowed in at a time, and subject to Covid testing and treatment facilities, observers say. Most of them worked here before going back home to escape the pandemic in Thailand, Mr Adisorn said.

From Thai Enquirer Migrant workers are not just a dispensable economic cog but living, breathing humans Opinion By Juwee Vorawandthanachai In both private and public spheres, the blame has often been placed on the migrant workers trying to survive, without the considering the system that ignores the humanity of these vulnerable communities. According to the United Nations International Organization of Migration (IOM), there are approximately 4-5 million migrant workers in Thailand. These workers mostly take up lower-income jobs in various industries like fisheries, construction, and domestic work and are integral to the Thai economy as they keep these industries afloat. In turn, their remittances back home substantially contribute to their family’s income. Although Thailand relies on the labor of these migrant workers to keep our country running, it constantly ignores their existence while also denying them rights to labor protection, safety, and health. Subsequently, Thailand’s COVID response did not to take into account the migrant workers at all. As the government eased up border restrictions, it mandated a 14-day quarantine for all foreigners and required that they pay for the quarantine out of pocket. While requiring a quarantine is crucial to deter the community spread of COVID, by requiring that foreigners pay for their own quarantine accommodations, the government indirectly prioritized wealthier foreigners over the migrant workers. This basically left the migrant workers who were in their home countries without a source of income for themselves and their families. As a result, the migrant workers were compelled, out of desperation, to take drastic measures of risking their lives to cross the border and forego the quarantine that they could not afford. After reaching Thailand, the accommodations that the employers provided for these workers are often in small, cramped rooms. As a result, these migrant workers were forced into closed quarters with each other, without the opportunity to quarantine or socially distance from each other. Due to the low wages that their employers provide, the workers did not have the luxury of looking for other accommodations. This forced the workers to put themselves on the line to keep our industries running. While Thailand’s universal healthcare scheme is hailed as one of our reasons for success in testing and tracing COVID, this scheme does not include foreigners, including migrant workers. With lower-income jobs, these migrant workers could not afford to get tested for COVID. This, combined with the close quarters, allowed for the rapid spread of this disease. Even though the Thai government has now temporarily made COVID testing free and required for migrant workers, it is also further restricting this community’s human rights by locking them in confined spaces and ‘letting the disease run its course.’ It seems as though Thailand views the migrant workers’ labor as essential but deems their lives as dispensable. As the pandemic plays out, the government needs to work to protect the health and wellbeing of every single person living in Thailand, regardless of their wealth or citizenship. So, for now, let’s stop blaming the honest, hardworking people trying to survive in a system that works against them, and instead, let’s hold the people who created this unjust, oppressive system accountable.

Their employers treat migrants employees as chattel. They are only useful because their labor comes cheap. Hopefully what goes around will come around.

From Bangkok Post Covid-zone workers dumped in Samut Prakan Officials meet the Myanmar workers from Samut Sakhon province after they were dumped in Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan late on Tuesday night. (Photo: Sutthiwit Chayutworakan) SAMUT PRAKAN: Fourteen Myanmar workers at a factory in Covid-19-plagued Samut Sakhon province were rushed off the premises and abandoned in neighbouring Samut Prakarn's Bang Phli district on Tuesday night. Police at Bang Kaew station were informed of their presence about 11pm. They were left with their bags on Soi Green Lake, at the entrance to Green Lake housing estate off Bang Na-Trat Road in tambon Racha Thewa. They told police they had worked at the STI Precision Co plastic-moulding plant in Muang district, Samut Sakhon, for about a month. Personnel staff at the company told them on Tuesday evening that police were to inspect the plant and they had to leave the premises. They said 23 workers were to be transported from their workplace to Rayong province. The dumped employees told police that some workers were dropped off from their vehicle on the way. The remaining 14 were taken to Rayong, where they were to be left in a forest. They refused to stay there. The driver asked if any of them had a relative or friend who could accommodate them. They said some relatives and friends worked and lived at a factory on Soi Green Lake in Bang Phli. However, the factory owner rejected them for fear of breaking the law, and their having come from Samut Sakhon, the epicentre of the latest Covid-19 outbreak. So their driver dumped them at the entrance of the Green Lake housing estate. The workers told police they had not been tested for Covid-19 and were desperately in need of help. Local health officials took sample swabs and quarantined them. Police were contacting their employer.

From Thai Enquirer Four takeaways from Thailand’s 2020 local elections Thailand held its first local elections since the 2014 military coup on Sunday, amid the return of local coronavirus transmission and months of political protests. Across the nation, votes were cast for Provincial Administrative Organization (POA) candidates. After a long suspension of local democracy, did these PAO elections mark a new chapter for Thai politics? Is there anything useful we can learn from the results? Here are four key takeaways. 1. A good night for political dynasties Local elections in Thailand has always been dominated by local strongmen, big families and political machines. Pork-barrel politics and patronage ensures local loyalty, while local “persons of influence” (phoo mee itiphon) can use a variety of tactics — legal and not, monetary and otherwise — to deliver votes for a candidate. This election was no different, with hua kanaen (“vote deliverers”) being caught in several provinces. (A selection from recent days: Trang, Nakhon Pathom, Kanchanaburi.) This year was no different, and local bosses made a strong showing nationwide. Some examples which illustrate the general rule: In Chainat, Anusorn Nakasai, brother to Palang Pracharath secretary-general Anucha Nakasai, triumphed. In Buriram, a relative of the local magnate Newin Chidchob won handily. In Sra Kaew, the local Tientong family propelled yet another family member to victory. In Phayao, the brother of Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanat Promphao won. Thailand, according to Harvard professor Daniel Smith, is a country with one of the world’s highest proportions of dynastic politicians. These local elections will ensure that this trend continues, as offices such as the PAO have traditionally provided banks of candidates for parties to draw from in future parliamentary elections. And even as Thailand has advanced towards more ideologically-driven national conversations, local elections remain driven as much as ever by machine politics. 2. Parties more visible in local elections Political party branding was strong for this year’s local elections. In previous years, candidates often unofficially affiliated with national parties. According to BBC Thai, this is the first year multiple parties officially fielded candidates who campaigned in branded gear. For PAO chairman, The Progressive Movement competed in 42 provinces, Pheu Thai in 25 and the Democrats in two. Palang Pracharath and Bhumjaithai still chose to disallow formal use of party branding even as several closely affiliated candidates ran. But despite attempts to increasingly align local politicians to party brands, it’s still evident that local dynamics will trump the national conversation in most constituencies. It’s also difficult to interpret what the results mean for their parties nationally, given that several candidates are still not running publicly with their parties. The Democrats’ celebration of a victory in Songkla (there only one, given they came short in Satun) is hardly a sign of vitality for a party widely assumed to be headed for extinction, given how other candidates unofficially affiliated with the party performed poorly in other traditional strongholds such as Surat Thani. A trend worth paying attention to moving forward is the increasing number of national politicians who have chosen to enter local politics, which some feel is a more fruitful space than sitting on the opposition benches in parliament. If this continues in the future, the degree of party identification with these politicians will be even higher. 3. The Thaksin brand is still alive, but what about Pheu Thai’s? One race that was given ample attention was Chiang Mai’s PAO chairman election. Pichai Lertpongadsiron ran under the Pheu Thai banner but was facing competition from Bunlert Booranupakorn, who was backed by red shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan. Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose public statements and overt interventions in Thai politics have become rarer in recent years, chose to insert himself into this local race in dramatic fashion. On December 3rd, Thaksin sent an open letter written in local dialect to Chiang Mai residents, saying that if his hometown’s people were to abandon him, he would “feel very sad.” Stating that he was unable to act at the national level as Pheu Thai is in the opposition, so he wished to help Chiang Mai solve local problems, which he could do by providing advice to Pichai. Thaksin reminded voters of the years of his premiership and said “good things will return” once Pichai is elected. Thaksin followed up this letter with a recorded video on December 16th, once again in support of Pichai. Pichai duly won the election with a sizable margin. Once again, it is perilous to draw too many conclusions from the results of a local election. But Thaksin’s gambit ultimately worked, and it is evidence that the Thaksin brand remains strong, perhaps more so than his party’s, even as the former premier has spent close to a decade and a half in exile. Pheu Thai itself won only 9 of the PAO chairman seats it contested, which may be a consequence of its weakening at the local level after an extended period in which Palang Pracharath has lured its personnel away. We can only wonder whether the Pheu Thai brand can remain successful if it were to ever distance itself further from Thaksin. 4. On first big play, Progressive Movement falters The Progressive Movement was founded as a new political vehicle for Future Forward Party founder Thanathorn Juangroongrueangkit after he was barred from formally engaging in politics earlier this year. And since its founding, one of the Progressive Movement’s key goals was to act as a platform in local elections nationwide. Publicly, the organization’s leadership had broadcasted high hopes, with Thanathorn saying just one day before the election that the Progressive Movement “must win in a landslide.” But despite the setting of high expectations, there were signs that not all would be well. As the progressive newsletter The Bastion noted, the Election Commission’s decision to hold the election on a weekend between two major holidays and disallow early voting ensures low turnout from voters who live out of province, which were among the key blocs that powered Future Forward’s strong performance in 2019. Yet the final results must still be described as a disappointment for the Progressive Movement. They won 17% of the popular vote in the provinces they contested, which is broadly in line with Future Forward’s nationwide result last year. However, this did not translate to victory in any of the 42 PAO chairman positions they sought. Supporters of the Prayut government have already begun gloating about the results, with commentator Pat Hemasuk declaring that the Progressive Movement “will only win in one province: Twitterburi.” Progressives, in the coming days, will surely point to irregularities and the aforementioned efforts to suppress out of province votes as an explanation for the Progressive Movement’s dismal performance. But there will others who question whether the Progressive Movement is on the wrong track. Thanathorn himself conceded in his press conference that his rhetoric on the monarchy may have affected the results, although a full analysis will have to come later. When combined with waning attendance at pro-reform protests and the track record of opposition candidates in losing several parliamentary by-elections, it will be difficult to deny that soul-searching may be needed.

From Reuters / The Thaiger Hundreds of Thais in South Korea have died in the past 5 years, many from “unknown causes,” according to data reported by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The majority of recorded deaths are migrants, who are less likely to report abuse or have access to healthcare. The report from Reuters prompted the United Nations to look into the cases as well as the safety of Thai migrants in South Korea. A specialist on labour migration at the UN International Labour Organisation, Nilim Baruah, says the reported data is “concerning and requires attention and investigation.” “Undocumented migrant workers are the least protected and their health and safety are a concern.” At least 522 Thais have died in South Korea since 2015, according to data obtained by Reuters from the Thai embassy in Seoul through a freedom of information request. 84% of the deaths are undocumented Thai migrants. Reuters says 40% of the recorded deaths are due to “unknown causes.” The other 60% were reported as health-related incidents, accidents and suicides. The undocumented migrants in South Korea are often overworked, unable to access healthcare and unlikely to report exploitation due to fears of deportation, according to current and former migrant workers, campaigners and Thai officials. Reporters found that migrants often work in dirty and sometimes dangerous working conditions for little pay.

From The Nation Bangkok orders strict implementation of Covid-19 measures in public places The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Monday ordered strict implementation of measures at four public spaces – markets, parks, religious places and entertainment venues – in the capital. The order requires operators of each place to provide health measures to staff and visitors, such as space for social distancing, temperature checking and hand sanitising gel. Visitors and staff are also ordered to wear face masks, and the places must be cleaned regularly. Besides, the operators must collect visitors’ information for tracking, and run a queue system, particularly at parks and entertainment venues. Under the announcement, entertainment venues – pubs, bars and karaokes – face the greatest challenge to strictly implement the measures. In addition to the "new normal" measures, operators of entertainment venues are required to limit their customer numbers, with at least four cubic metres for one person. Group customers should be limited to a maximum of five persons. The order requires operators of each place to provide health measures to staff and visitors, such as space for social distancing, temperature checking and hand sanitising gel. Visitors and staff are also ordered to wear face masks, and the places must be cleaned regularly. Besides, the operators must collect visitors’ information for tracking, and run a queue system, particularly at parks and entertainment venues. Singers or other staff are prohibited from being close to customers. Nevertheless, the singers and dancers are allowed to dance on stage. The BMA also has banned entertainment venues from running promotions of products they sell. Serving of drinks in mugs or other sharing containers are prohibited, while customers are not allowed to bring their drinks into the venues. The BMA has urged the operators to install CCTV cameras at their venues, and ordered them to save the footage for at least one month before deletion. ============================================================== From The Thaiger Thai PM says lockdown could become unavoidable hai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is warning that another lockdown could prove unavoidable, should Covid-19 figures escalate out of control. Today, 427 new Covid-19 cases were reported by the Centre Covid-19 Situation Administration, 397 of which are migrant workers. Yesterday, the CCSA reported 382 new cases, 360 of which are in migrant workers. Spokesperson Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin says 14 local cases have been confirmed, with the virus having spread beyond the central province of Samut Sakhon. 1 case was confirmed in Ayutthaya, 2 in Nakhon Pathom, 3 in Samut Prakan, 5 in Samut Sakhon, 2 in Bangkok and 1 in the northern province of Tak. All 14 cases can be traced back to the Samut Sakhon fish market where the latest outbreak began. Health authorities are ramping up the screening of migrant workers in that province and beyond, with the PM calling for everyone to cooperate to contain the spread and avoid another lockdown. He says the situation should become clearer within 7 days, at which point decisions can be made about New Year’s Eve countdown events and the celebration of Children’s Day on January 9. According to the PM, the Public Health Ministry says the situation is still under control.

From Thai Enquirer OPINION: By Cod Satrusayang Do not blame undocumented workers for the outbreak, blame years of bad policy The government said this weekend that the public should not blame the migrant worker community for the latest coronavirus outbreak. The latest government report says that the new outbreak cluster is centered around migrant worker dormitories in Samut Sakhon with 90 per cent of the new cases found in workers from Myanmar that are employed in the province’s fishing community. NGOs and labour groups estimate that there are some 200,000-400,000 migrant workers working in Samut Sakhon. Many of them are unregistered. The government, for its part, has insisted that migrant workers form an important part of Thailand’s economy and that it would do its best to take care of those infected and not abuse their human rights – as if any other option would be acceptable. But if the outbreak cluster does become significant and cases do spiral out of control, the government will have no one to blame but itself and the result would be karmic retribution for its lax action on registering migrant workers and providing a legal path to employment. Fingers, in that case, should be pointed not just at the Prayut Chan-ocha government but every previous government that came before. Warnings over the abuses and irregularities within Thailand’s fishing industry have reared its head before. Media reports in Reuters, the Guardian and the Associated Press just half a decade ago showed that slavery and trafficking was a regular part of Samut Sakhon’s fishing industry. The government vowed then, and continues to promise now, that it would do its utmost to crackdown on human trafficking and to properly register migrants working in the province. Fast forward to 2020 and it seems that the efforts to do so have been haphazard at best. As Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has said, the new cluster likely comes from migrant workers illegally crossing over to work in the fishing industry. But didn’t the government promise that such a scenario would be a thing of the past? Didn’t the government say that it would register all migrant workers? Didn’t the government say that it would prosecute factory and ship owners who employed unregistered workers? Didn’t the government promise to secure the borders? It has failed in all its promises and in doing so has failed the great public.

From The Nation Up to 10 million condo units to come with long-term visas Thirty real estate developers will offer foreign buyers five-year visas for an estimated 10 million properties, under the “Elite Flexible One” card scheme launched on January 1 next year. Thailand Privilege Card (TPC), which operates the scheme, said Raimon Land has already signed up three luxury condo projects, expecting sales of about 200 Elite cards. At least 30 more real estate developers have expressed interest in joining, said TPC president Somchai Sungsawang after launching the scheme on Monday. The move is aimed at lifting a property sector slumping under the impact of Covid-19. “Most are large listed companies, with a lot of suggestions offered to increase customers and encourage more sales. The suggestions will be put to a [TPC] board meeting for further consideration," said Somchai. To be eligible for an Elite Flexible One membership card, applicants must spend at least Bt10 million on condo-style property under the scheme. Elite Flexible One cards will be issued for a period of two years, from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022.

From Bangkok Post Progress and setbacks writer: Melalin Mahavongtrakul This year has seen a lot of development regarding LGBTI communities in Thailand, around the world, and even on-screen, and although Covid-19 has led to more stigma and discrimination, there were still victories in some places 'Surprise" is the word that can be associated with a lot of things this year. From the political landscape to LGBTI rights advocacy in Thailand, we have witnessed the unexpected play out in broad daylight and in the heart of the capital no less. Giant rainbow flags were paraded down the streets of Silom and around Democracy Monument as thousands joined demonstrations calling for equal rights for LGBTI. The queer presence was alive and well in youth-led protests that have become part of the city's culture for the past few months. There have been some welcome changes though. Pioneered in Chanthaburi province, a few provincial authorities are now allowing their civil officers to dress according to their gender identity. We usually see this kind of progress in universities (more of them are improving). So, having the trend continue further into the bureaucratic system was definitely a positive sign. For unwelcome changes? Tanwarin Sukkhapisit was removed from her position as a member of parliament. Long known for directing queer and provocative films, Tanwarin joined the political arena and became the first katoey MP in the history of Thailand last year. It was sadly a short-lived career, but history has been made nonetheless. Tanwarin may have been among the first LGBTI politicians to sit in parliament but she surely won't be the last. And then there's the future. Next year, keep an eye on the law. There is currently an effort to push the gender recognition bill and also same-sex unions. Independent activist Nada Chaiyajit recently made a draft for the gender recognition law that is based on case studies and Malta's Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act 2015, and adapted it to fit the Thai context. This "Draft Zero", as Nada called it, addresses the rights of transgender, non-binary and intersex people and the intersectionality of that with education, labour, social development and more. The activist said it'll require more work next year to develop further drafts but there is also a plan to form a coalition to push it forward. The prospect of same-sex unions and marriage is also a work in progress. The drafts for the civil partnership bill and another bill to amend the existing marriage law are both quietly moving forward. A recent meeting held by the Rights and Liberties Protection Department addressed the benefits of such a law while discussing religious concerns and opinions of stakeholders. It remains to be seen how this will proceed and which bill -- or neither, or both -- may possibly come into effect. It's been interesting to witness the amount and variety of LGBTI content on the screen this year -- from TV and streaming to cinema, and from Hollywood to Asia. Earlier in the year, we had the hit K-drama Itaewon Class featuring a transgender character and a storyline concerning her coming out. Disney also showed one of its animated mythical characters as a lesbian in Onward. In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, a minor character made a quick remark about her girlfriend. Is it revolutionary? Perhaps. But maybe we're desperately grabbing for anything that comes our way due to the lack of LGBTI representation in content for young audiences. Even with such a small mention, the film was met with bans and censorship attempts in several countries. In Thailand, the Boys' Love trend continues with the popularity of 2gether: The Series in which two college guys get into a fake relationship only for it to blossom into something real. The show has attracted a large following at both local and international level. It is reportedly the most-viewed Thai series in the BL genre. Later in the year, we saw the coming-of-age I Told Sunset About You, a drama and romance between two childhood friends that propelled the genre even further with its story, performance and cinematography. Sunset Part 2 is set to be released in March. It's quite obvious the BL fad won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

I've probably offed more than my share of Viet guys and that seems to be where most of them prefer to be--at least those who come to bkk to work. I have, however, discussed this before with a member who has made frequent visits to Vietnam and he says you don't have any problem finding bottoms on the apps there.

The virus spread among migrant workers in Thailand mirrors what occurred early in the outbreak in Singapore. As is the case in Singapore, migrant workers are doing the work that locals find unappealing. It took a Singapore a while to figure out that testing alone and isolation wasn't alone adequate to stemming the dilemma. They eventually acknowledged that it had to change the living conditions in the crowded dormitories that enabled the virus to rapidly spread. Thai authorities will hopefully follow that course. ----------------------------------------------------------------- From The Thai Enquirer More cases discovered in migrant worker dormitories; officials say numbers will continue to rise Thailand’s government said on Sunday that it had discovered 689 confirmed coronavirus cases related to an outbreak in Samut Sakhon. 32 cases stemmed from contact with a 67-year-old Thai woman who worked at the Central Shrimp Market (Talad Klang Kung) in the province. Kiattiphum Wongrajit, the permanent secretary at the health ministry, said the source of her infection was believed to be a migrant worker from Myanmar. This led to the Ministry of Public Health’s preemptive testing process that was conducted on migrant workers employed in the fisheries industry in Samut Sakhon. The tests confirmed another 657 cases out of 1,445 people sampled. “This is only the results from the initial investigation, there will be a lot more cases to be reported in the next stage,” Kiattiphum said. “From the outlook, there is now another round of widespread coronavirus infections in Thailand,” he added. Apart from the cases in Samut Sakhon, three confirmed cases were also found in Samut Prakan, two in Bangkok, two in Nakhon Pathom, one in Suphan Buri, and one in Ratchaburi so far. Prior to the health ministry announcement, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said the country had discovered 576 cases of coronavirus, the most ever recorded in a single day. Of that, 516 cases are migrant workers employed in the fisheries industry in Samut Sakhon. The government also said it had discovered 41 cases of coronavirus in state and alternate state quarantine in the last 24 hours.

From Vietnam News HÀ NỘI — Viet Nam faces a significantly imbalanced sex ratio at birth (SRB) that will mean by 2034, about 1.5 million men will not be able to marry wives, a study has found. The results of studies by the General Statistics Office and the United Nations Population Fund were released yesterday. The key findings of these studies provide information about the current situation, trends and factors influencing the population, as well as help propose suggestions for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The analysis was based on the results of the 2019 Population and Housing Census, which were announced on December 19, 2019. The preference for families to have a son was reflected largely in prenatal sex selection as early as the first parity (the first time a woman gives birth), with the SRB for the first parity being 109.5 boys per 100 girls and rising for the third and higher parities (119.8 boys per 100 girls). For couples who have already had two daughters, the SRB for the third parity is 143.8 boys per 100 girls.