reader

From Nasdaq news Vingroup says to produce ventilators in COVID-19 fight HANOI, April 3 (Reuters) - Vietnam's biggest listed firm Vingroup VIC.HM said on Friday it will produce ventilators for the Southeast Asian country's fight against the new coronavirus. The company has entered into a licence agreement with Medtronic MDT.N for its P560 ventilator production, the company said in an emailed statement, adding that it would also produce low-cost open-source ventilators designed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Vingroup said it would be able to produce up to 55,000 units a month at its existing automobile and smartphone factories in Vietnam, including 10,000 P560 ventilators. Production would begin within weeks, it said, adding that the firm could also produce ventilators for foreign markets. Vietnam has reported 233 coronavirus cases as of Friday, with no reported death, the Ministry of Health said. https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/vietnams-vingroup-says-to-produce-ventilators-in-covid-19-fight-2020-04-03

From Khaosod English Sex Workers Suffer Under Virus Shutdown BANGKOK — Anna, a 33-year-old sex worker, said she had no income for the past two weeks since Pattaya’s Walking Street was told to shut down per a government’s order to contain the coronavirus outbreak. She has about 11,000 baht left. Of those savings, 7,000 baht will have to go to rent, electricity, and water bills. “For short time [sex service] I used to charge 2,000. That’s for one to two hours. If it’s longer than five hours, I charge 5,000,” Anna, who identified herself as a transgender, said by phone Friday. “Now there’s no short time, long time, or social media appointment at all.” Anna is one of an estimated of 100,000 sex workers who are expected to be among the hardest hit under the business closure brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. They can’t apply for government compensation for “informal” workers either, since their work is not considered legitimate under the law, despite their ubiquitous presence around the country. Surang Janyam, director of an NGO that assists sex workers in Bangkok and Pattaya, warned that the lockdown could prove to be a disaster for tens of thousands of people working in the sex tourism industry. “My tears dropped on March 17. It’s not just about the dangerous pandemic but we could not prepare our hearts for what’s coming. I don’t know how they will make a living from now … and they have no welfare” Surang from Service Workers in Group Foundation said.“I cried the day the lights at Patpong turned dark.” In Pattaya, where an estimate 50,000 sex workers are now out of work due to the government measures to shutdown nightlife district, many have since returned to their home provinces, said Anna, who hailed from Loei province. The sex worker said she doesn’t want to return to her home province due to the stigma attached to not just sex workers, but the perception among the rural locals that anyone returning from the cities must be infected by coronavirus. Even in Pattaya itself, sex workers are facing additional stigma because they are thought to be possible spreader of coronavirus. “Hair stylists, cloth vendors, and even food sellers, do not want to be near me,” Anna said. Anna tried, but failed, to seek 5,000 baht monthly assistance promised by the government, since sex work is not listed as one of the professions in the online application form. Although prostitution can be found across Thailand, the profession remains illegal under Thai laws. “Pattaya used to never sleep. Now it’s asleep,” she said. Bangkok’s Soi Cowboy, a major red light district in Bangkok with 1,000 plus sex workers, also went silent after the are was shut down on March 17. https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2020/04/04/no-job-no-compensation-sex-workers-suffer-under-virus-shutdown/

Excerpted from Bangkok Post Thai returnees told to report for state quarantine Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered 152 Thais who landed at Suvarnabhumi airport on Friday afternoon and refused to enter state quarantine to report themselves before 6pm on Saturday so that they can be put into state facilities. A total of 158 Thais — 103 from Japan, 11 from Qatar and 44 from Singapore — landed at the airport at 1pm on Friday, Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said on Saturday. But only six of them agreed to be sent to a place prepared by authorities, which is a hotel in Bangkok. The remaining 152 refused to cooperate, saying they had not been informed about it in advance, and left for home. After a meeting on Saturday, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration decided to put all of thses returnees in state quarantine. The commotion at the airport on Friday occurred mainly because of the transition of rules. The group consisted of Thais who were able to fly home because they had obtained all the necessary documents — fit-to-fly certificates issued within 72 hours before boarding and letters from embassies confirming they are Thai nationals seeking to return home — when they boarded planes. Gen Prayut announced on Thursday evening all travel to the kingdom by both Thais and foreigners would be banned until April 15, effective immediately. After that period, he said all arrivals must be quarantined at state facilities. While recognising the importance of quarantine, they assumed they could do it at home. Some even claimed to have already booked hotel rooms for the purpose. Authorities have prepared facilities in Sattahip and two hotels in Bangkok for state quarantine. As a result of the confusion on Friday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand issued an announcement a few hours later temporarily banning all passenger flights from landing in Thailand until Monday to prevent further problems. It took immediate effect. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1893095/thai-returnees-told-to-report-for-state-quarantine

U.S. Department of Transportation Issues Enforcement Notice Clarifying Air Carrier Refund Requirements, Given the Impact of COVID-19 Friday, April 3, 2020 WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation today issued an Enforcement Notice clarifying, in the context of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency, that U.S. and foreign airlines remain obligated to provide a prompt refund to passengers for flights to, within, or from the United States when the carrier cancels the passenger’s scheduled flight or makes a significant schedule change and the passenger chooses not to accept the alternative offered by the carrier. The obligation of airlines to provide refunds, including the ticket price and any optional fee charged for services a passenger is unable to use, does not cease when the flight disruptions are outside of the carrier’s control (e.g., a result of government restrictions). The Department is receiving an increasing number of complaints and inquiries from ticketed passengers, including many with non-refundable tickets, who describe having been denied refunds for flights that were canceled or significantly delayed. In many of these cases, the passengers stated that the carrier informed them that they would receive vouchers or credits for future travel. Because the COVID-19 public health emergency has had an unprecedented impact on air travel, DOT’s Aviation Enforcement Office will exercise its enforcement discretion and provide carriers with an opportunity to become compliant before taking further action. However, the Aviation Enforcement Office will monitor airlines’ refund policies and practices and take enforcement action as necessary. https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-department-transportation-issues-enforcement-notice-clarifying-air-carrier-refund

From Khaosod English Chinese Virus Conspiracy Theories Picked Up By Thai Media BANGKOK — A series of conspiracy theories promoted by the Chinese state media, which accused the United States of engineering the coronavirus as a bioweapon, is finding a large audience in Thailand thanks to uncritical coverage by some news agencies. From the accusations that US military hid vases of the virus in Wuhan to speculation that the US unleashed the coronavirus in Italy to stop them from using Huawei 5G network and an article written by a Holocaust denier – all of these outlandish claims were carried by some of Thailand’s most popular TV and news sites, a survey by Khaosod English found on Thursday. They were often lifted or translated directly from Chinese state media agencies, or suggested by news sites who challenge the audience to “connect the dots” and build dubious links between different events. A political scientist said the trend may reflect an increasingly pro-China stance among some Thai media, while a media watchdog said simple critical thinking would have easily debunked those hoaxes. “The US, China, and even Thailand are all affected so badly. If some country was going to use their virus as a weapon, then why was there no precaution put in place for their own people?” Thai Journalist Association chairman Mongkol Bangprapha said. “By common sense, it’s obvious that neither of the countries did it.” Yet reports on Nation TV, Banmuang, and some other media agencies imply it was the United States who manufactured and released the virus in a bid to contain China’s rise as a new geopolitical superpower – a narrative that’s rapidly gaining traction in Thailand. One example could be found In the March 16 episode of “Investigative Hour” program by Nation TV, titled “Covid-19: Biological Warfare or Conspiracy Theory?”, in which the show’s host discussed the narrative with a complete seriousness. The segment features an interview with Tanong Kuntong, Director of Communications from Bualuang Securities, who said the coronavirus – just like SARS, avian flu, and swine flu – was the latest form of biological warfare brought over by the West, similar to European explorers bringing Old World diseases to the New World. Continues at https://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2020/04/02/chinese-virus-conspiracy-theories-picked-up-by-thai-media/

From The Nation New service hours as curfew takes effect Train operators in Bangkok have adjusted their service hours after the government declared a curfew on Thursday (April 2), ordering suspension of all public transport nationwide from 9.30pm to 4am from April 3 until further notice. Bangkok Mass Transit System Pcl, operator of BTS Skytrain, said on Thursday (April 2) that all BTS stations on the Sukhumvit and Silom lines would be open until 9.30pm starting Friday (April 3) until further notice. For further information, contact Customer Service Centre on 02-617-6000. Meanwhile, Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand and Bangkok Expressway and Metro Plc, operators of MRT electric trains, also announced on the same day that the MRT Blue Line and Purple Line trains will run from 6am to 9.30pm and that all stations will be open until 9.30pm from April 3 onwards. https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30385329 ============================================================================================================= From Bloomberg News Govt plans more stimulus, monetary policy flexibility Thailand unveiled plans for fresh government stimulus as well as rule changes to improve monetary policy flexibility, stepping up efforts to cushion the blow from the novel coronavirus outbreak. The latest stimulus would be funded by new borrowing and reallocation of the existing budget, and could be approved April 7, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said in a joint briefing Friday. The overall planned package, including steps like loans, amounts to 10% of gross domestic product, he said. Bank of Thailand Governor Veerathai Santiprabhob at the same briefing said the amount banks pay to a financial bailout fund will be cut to 0.23% of deposits annually from 0.46%, adding that this will improve the “transmission process” of monetary policy. The Thai economy is set for the worst contraction this year since the 1990s as tourism, exports and consumer confidence stall, putting pressure on the government to step up spending. At 10% of gross domestic product, the third package would be equivalent to about $50 billion based on the size of the Thai economy last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The central bank said Friday it’s seeking a law that would enable it to purchase good quality, maturing corporate bonds that are being rolled over. The bank would be able to purchase at most half, but not all, of the debt being rolled over. The goal is to backstop the corporate bond market, Veerathai said. The administration has already rolled out economic packages designed to deliver a boost of more than 500 billion baht ($15.1 billion) to mitigate the impact of the outbreak on businesses and individuals. Thailand is also contending with a severe drought and feeling the effects of delayed outlays from the regular fiscal-year budget because of earlier political wrangling. The Bank of Thailand predicts a 5.3% economic contraction in 2020, which would be the bleakest performance since the Asian financial crisis. Thailand is also contending with a severe drought and feeling the effects of delayed outlays from the regular fiscal-year budget because of earlier political wrangling. The Bank of Thailand predicts a 5.3% economic contraction in 2020, which would be the bleakest performance since the Asian financial crisis. https://www.msn.com/en-us/finance/markets/thailand-plans-more-stimulus-monetary-policy-flexibility/ar-BB126Waf ================================================================================== From Bangkok Post Tourism Council wants shutdown, relaxed lending The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has submitted a letter to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha asking for more relaxed regulations on lending from banks, and another to Bangkok governor Aswin Khwanmuang demanding an official order shutting down tourist facilities in the city. In a letter to the city governor, they asked that he shut down hotels, tour agencies and tourist bus services. They asked him to issue a temporary closure order for hotels which do not have guests. This would help reduce travel activities and comply with travel restrictions imposed earlier by the government. Five provinces have already ordered hotels to shut down. The latest were Phuket, which the governor ordered on Thursday night, and Phangnga, which demanded all hotels stop services as soon as the last batch of guests check out. Three provinces previously issued hotel closures: Chon Buri, Kanchanaburi, and Chanthaburi. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1892550/tourism-council-wants-shutdown-relaxed-lending#cxrecs_s

No, wasn't referencing health insurance matters. I'd think terms pertinent to an insurance policy would be spelled out in the policy itself and any riders associated with it. But I'm neither an insurance or legal expert. It's my understanding that If force majeure isn't specifically referenced in a contract or agreement, it does not apply. National and internal laws come into play and there's no hard one size fits all rule. In other words, you have to read the fine print. My intent was to make readers aware of the term in case they come across it in any relative documents. In this time of an event, the likes of which we haven't seen for over a century, Covid19 may well trigger a force majeure clause. The Wikipedia link should provide a better understanding. It includes some examples of what constitutes and does not constitute force majeure events. Hope that helps. (There's an interesting separate definition of force majeure that applies to international military protocols, also described in the link)

A term in common use in some contracts may be worth becoming familiar with in view of the current environment. Extracted from Wikipedia Force majeure meaning "superior force", also known as cas fortuit (French) or casus fortuitus (Latin) "chance occurrence, unavoidable accident", is a common clause in contracts that essentially frees both parties from liability or obligation when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of the parties, such as a war, strike, riot, crime, plague, virus or an event described by the legal term act of God (hurricane, flood, earthquake, volcanic eruption, etc.), prevents one or both parties from fulfilling their obligations under the contract. In practice, most force majeure clauses do not excuse a party's non-performance entirely, but only suspend it for the duration of the force majeure. Under international law, it refers to an irresistible force or unforeseen event beyond the control of a state making it materially impossible to fulfill an international obligation, and is related to the concept of a state of emergency. Force majeure in any given situation is controlled by the law governing the contract, rather than general concepts of force majeure. The law of the contract often specified by a choice of law clause in the agreement, and if not is decided by a statute or principals of general law which apply to the contract. For additional information https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_majeure

32.9631THB 1 THB = 0.0303370 USD 1 USD = 32.9631 THB ------------------------------------------- 35.8158THB 1 THB = 0.0279207 EUR 1 EUR = 35.8158 THB -------------------------------------------- 40.8290THB 1 THB = 0.0244924 GBP 1 GBP = 40.8290 THB

Excerpted from Bangkok Post Nationwide night curfew starts Friday All people in Thailand are banned from leaving home from 10pm to 4am starting Friday in the government’s latest move to contain the spread of coronavirus. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced the curfew on Thursday evening. Exempted from the curfew are medical and banking personnel, as well as logistic workers handling consumer products, farm goods, pharmaceutical products, medical supplies and equipment, newspapers, petrol, postal parcels, or products to be imported or exported. Movements of people to quarantine places are also allowed. Other exemptions are people working normal night shifts or those heading to or from airports with necessary documents stating the purposes, or officials working by the announcements or orders and those allowed by officials to leave the house on emergencies. Violation will result in a jail term of not more than two years and/or a fine not more than 40,000 baht. Existing curfew orders or announcements in any province with stricter requirements shall remain in effect. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1891810/nationwide-night-curfew-starts-friday

From Khaosod English More Papers Required for Visa Extensions BANGKOK — Nine separate documents are now required for foreigners stranded in Thailand to extend their stay for up to 30 days, the immigration said Thursday. Immigration spokesman Phakkhaphong Saiubon defended the inconvenience on the grounds of “national security.” New requirements include land deeds, rent contracts, and even selfies of foreigners with their accommodations, even as scenes of disarray and massive queues at immigration continue unabated. “Indeed, we are requiring more documents than usual because there are those who want to exploit the opportunity,” Col. Phakkhaphong said. “We are doing our best to provide the best service, but bearing in mind that national security is our utmost priority.” https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2020/04/02/more-papers-required-for-visa-extensions-due-to-national-security/

From Bangkok Post Govt temporarily blocks all travel The government will block all travel to Thailand, including by Thais, for half a month to prepare "state quarantine" facilities after more local patients have been linked to imported cases. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the government needs time to properly prepare for state quarantine. "Related agencies will in the meantime prepare the places and coordinate with Thai embassies to ensure all Thais returning home will be quarantined and get proper medical checks," he said. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1891790/govt-temporarily-blocks-all-travel

The Department of Immigration is shutting offices for the foreseeable future, but foreigners needing visa renewals should not be overly concerned. Hanoi (VNA) - The Department of Immigration is shutting offices for the foreseeable future, but foreigners needing visa renewals should not be overly concerned. As the nation ‘stays at home’ to avoid the spread of COVID-19, the department office will close from April 2 until further notice, according to a source from the department. However, if a visa belonging to any foreigner staying in Vietnam right now expires while their offices are closed, the holder will not be penalised. Instead, visas can be renewed when the office reopens. https://en.vietnamplus.vn/foreigners-not-penalised-for-overstaying-during-national-social-distancing/171073.vnp

From Khaosod English Long Lines Continue at Immigration Despite Extra Venue BANGKOK — Long lines continued to form at the Immigration Bureau in spite of the agency’s decision to open another venue for extending foreigners’ stay in Thailand for 30 days. Immigration Bureau spokesman Phakkhaphong Saiubonsaid said the new facility is now open at the Central Investigation Bureau headquarters in Muang Thong Thani. Yet a large queue is still seen at the new facility even at the same time the government is promoting the measure of social distancing. “We have opened the new facility in Muang Thong Thani to cope with massive queues at our Chaengwattana office,” Col. Phakkhaphong said. “The new office has more space, so social distancing can be fully implemented.” However, in a photo posted today by well-known blogger and longtime British expat Richard Barrow showed that people are still flocking to the new office to extend their stays. “We are really hoping that a visa amnesty will be announced today after the weekly cabinet meeting,” he wrote in a caption. “Many other countries have done this already as it’s crazy and dangerous to queue up like this during a pandemic.” Phakkhaphong said the bureau has done its best to manage the overcrowding problem. He also added that the visa amnesty, as well fine exemption for overstays, are still being discussed in the Cabinet. “What you have seen is from the early morning, when people would scramble to get their visas extended. I ask visitors to come later on the day to avoid congestion,” Phakkhaphong said. “We also have to wait for the Cabinet to decide on visa amnesty and fine exemptions. What we can do now is to follow the protocols.” The new facility – located a few kilometers up in the north from the bureau’s main office – is taking applications for 90-day reports, alien’s residing reports, and 30-day tourist visa extensions, the spokesman said. All other matters still have to be processed at the main office. https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2020/03/31/long-lines-continue-at-immigration-despite-extra-venue/ ============================================================================================= From The Thaiager Immigration: Beware online swindlers claiming they can extend your visa After a wave of complaints, the Immigration Bureau yesterday issued urgent advice to tourists and visitors about extending their visas amid the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis. While some immigration offices have requested that expats to file their 90 day residence reports reports online to promote social distancing and avoid crowded conditions, officers say fraudsters have been going online on Facebook and other social media platforms telling gullible users there’s no need to go to an immigration office for a visa extension, that it can all be done for you for a fee of 1200 baht. his is false. You must go in person for a visa extension. https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/immigration-beware-online-swindlers-claiming-they-can-extend-your-visa ===================================================================================== Stranded. Nearly 21,000 Russians struggling to get home The Russian Ambassador to Thailand claims there are about 20,800 Russian citizens stranded in the Land of Smiles. Ambassador Tomikhin says they’re desperate to get home. He says that most of them are stuck in Phuket and neighbouring provinces (Phuket is in virtual lockdown with the airport being closed to all passenger flights on April 10). Another 8,000 in and around Pattaya, 5,00 around Bangkok and Hua Hin, 4,400 in and around Koh Samui and another 2,500 scattered around the country, according to Khaosod English. “We have received some 20,800 requests from people who have found themselves in this situation. Less than half of them are those who have tickets to cancelled flights by third countries’ air companies.” The Russian embassy stopped receiving requests from Russian nationals on March 30. According to the Ambassador, there were about 70,000 Russians in Thailand by early March. “About 40,000 of them were package-tour vacationers who came here by charter flights from various Russian cities. When the situation began to worsen, most of them returned home.” https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/stranded-nearly-21000-russians-struggling-to-get-home

Today's Bangkok Post carried a few articles that reflect a bit of optimism. The daily reported count of new infections was 127. Although that in itself is nothing to celebrate, the number doesn't indicate exponential growth and is generally in line with the last five or so days. Another article shines light on the success of Lampang province that has managed to keep the virus at bay. ============================================================= From Bangkok Post Tham Luang hero defends Lampang from coronavirus flood LAMPANG: Residents in this northern province have taken to social media in praise of their governor for his well-planned fight against the coronavirus. No infections have yet been reported anywhere in Lampang. "The success so far is because of trust and confidence in him to move the plan forward in one direction," a user named Ungde Amin commented on the Lampang13 Facebook page that posted an interview with governor Narongsak Osottanakorn on Sunday. "He shows leadership and the measures are well prepared," Pun Pun wrote. "I envy people in Lampang," added Wassana Wisassai. The interview drew almost 3,000 comments and 57,000 shares on social media. Mr Narongsak was known for his decisive command of the international operation to rescue 12 young footballers and their coach trapped inside the Tham Luang cave in Mae Sai district two years ago, when he was the governor of Chiang Rai. He was later transferred to Phayao and then Lampang. Rescuers and others who participated in the cave operation in Chiang Rai have commended him for clear directions, decisiveness and leadership, saying he effectively coordinated all the units from various agencies under his command. The country has recorded 1,651 coronavirus cases in 61 provinces as of Tuesday, but Lampang is not one of them. The Provincial Public Health Office in Lampang on Tuesday denied reports on social media that one person in the province had been infected with Covid-19. Mr Narongsak called an informal meeting with all officials in the province on Jan 23 when the Chinese government decided to lock down Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus at the time. He said the lockdown of the Chinese city signalled the seriousness of the disease, and the province started preparing immediately. "We closely monitored the situation in Wuhan," the governor said in the interview with local online media. The province has prepared medical facilities for health personnel and patients, including 140 respirators and 10 negative pressure rooms. It has assigned 50 hospital beds for virus-infected patients and could expand that number to 400. "Health personnel are the most important group," he said. "If they fall ill, nobody will take care of people in the province." The province has also made preparations in the field, recruiting health volunteers and villagers to respond to any outbreak in the province. "We have designed the process to prepare for the situation and fine-tuned it with people on the ground," he said. The governor on Monday said he did not expect the province to remain virus-free but was confident that the preparations were adequate to take the local fight to the pandemic. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1890230/tham-luang-hero-defends-lampang-from-coronavirus-flood ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thailand reports 127 new coronavirus cases, 1 death Tuesday Thailand reported 127 new coronavirus cases and one death on Tuesday, a health official said. On Monday the country reported 136 new infections and two deaths. Tuesday's announcement raises the number of confirmed infections in Thailand to 1,651 since the country's first case was reported in January. Ten people who tested positive for the coronavirus have died. Bangkok topped the list of confirmed cases with 796, followed by Nonthaburi (79), Phuket (55) and Yala (48), permanent secretary for public health Sukhum Karnchanapimai told a press briefing at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1890170/thailand-reports-127-new-coronavirus-cases-1-death-tuesday

From Channel News Asia High Court judge dismisses all three challenges to Section 377A SINGAPORE: Three men have failed in their challenges against Section 377A of the penal code, after a High Court judge dismissed their court actions against the law that criminalises sex between men on Monday (Mar 30). In a case summary released by the court, Justice See Kee Oon rejected arguments that the law is unconstitutional, and defended the decision not to pro-actively enforce Section 377A. He said that Section 377A "serves the purpose of safeguarding public morality by showing societal moral disapproval of male homosexual acts". It cannot be said to be redundant simply because of its non-enforcement, he added. According to Section 377A of the Penal Code, any man who commits any act of gross indecency with another man in public or in private can be jailed for up to two years. This extends to any man who abets such an act, procures or attempts to procure such an act. The verdict was delivered in chambers, four months after arguments were made by the lawyers for the three men: Disc jockey Johnson Ong Ming, retired general practitioner Roy Tan Seng Kee and Bryan Choong Chee Hoong, the former executive director of LGBT non-profit organisation Oogachaga. Continues at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/377a-challenge-dismissed-high-court-judge-penal-code-12588738

Excerpted from Khaosod English What It’s Like to Catch, and Survive, the Coronavirus in Thailand BANGKOK — Speaking from his condo, Singaporean expat Jay Feng asked other people currently in self-isolation at their homes to stay calm and not to panic. He knew a thing or two about the coronavirus; in fact, he survived it. Feng, who recovered several weeks after he first tested positive earlier this month, said he beat the virus by monitoring his symptoms early on, keeping a positive mindset even when he was in enormous physical pain, and relying on the sheer strength of his immune system. Plus a well-covered insurance plan. “The most important thing is to not panic. The Thai healthcare system is actually very good,” Feng said in a telephone interview. “The authorities are fairly decent. Even if you don’t speak Thai, communicate your symptoms and medical history very clearly.” Feng, 36, is the owner of Ohana Poke restaurant on Wireless Road, and leads what he describes as a very healthy, active lifestyle – he never smoked, exercised regularly, eats a very healthy diet, and gets lots of sleep. But on March 8, he woke up with a strange body ache. He bought a thermometer at a nearby pharmacy and stayed at home the whole day, but it didn’t go away. “Usually I get well quickly, even if I don’t get sick often,” he said. “But it was a body ache not like I bumped into something, but like my whole body crashed into something.” The next day, he decided to get checked out at Bangkok Christian Hospital, even though he didn’t have a fever. After about 20 or so tests for other diseases, the doctors asked if he would also like to get a test for COVID-19, but be admitted for the night. However, Feng did not meet the criteria for free coronavirus test, which include a fever over 37.5C, recent visit to a high-risk country, or close contact with a proven case. Still, he chose to get tested out of an abundance of caution. “I chose to pay out of my pocket because I see people every day have it. I just admit myself and do the test, lah,” he said. Feng was wheeled to the quarantine area and nurses stuck swabs about 20 centimeters down his nose and throat (“It’s a terrible feeling, very unpleasant. But you get used to it.”) as well as a blood sample. Feng was feeling relatively well – until 1am that night. He woke up, inexplicably cold, with a dull pain in his left lung. He got some paracetamol from the nurses. At 3am, he woke up dazed, incoherent, with his hospital gown drenched in sweat, with the pain increasing. He measured a 37.7C fever. “This is when it hit me. I was completely, completely, shocked. I was lost for 30 seconds, don’t know how to react. I was completely dazed,” Feng recalled. “I started shaking because of the sickness and receiving this news and battling my emotions.” While nurses were quickly packing his things, Feng mentally ran through the people he had been in close contact with. He called and messaged his family, loved ones, and employees. “I tested positive, you need to get tested and isolate yourself,” he said. Feng was sent to the state-owned Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute on March 10, where “The VIP treatment continued. I was in a wheelchair, and all the lift and pathways were cleared for you,” he said. He would spend the next two weeks in a negative pressure isolation ward. His ward was separated from the corridor by a containment room where nurses would leave medicine and the mae baan would leave his food. He could only go in if there was no one else in it. The ward itself had his hospital bed, a sofa bed, three windows with blinds, a table, and a chair. The bathroom was spacious and the shower had a heater. “It was new equipment, excellent, and clean. High tech, with lots of motion sensors. There were few physical buttons to press,” Feng said. Doctors told him that he would get tested every two days for the virus. If he tested negative twice consecutively, then he would be discharged. The doctors could only treat his symptoms from now on – his immune system had to do the heavy lifting. The next few days were the worst, Feng recalled. His lungs were in pain, he was chronically tired, he was incoherent. “I had a dry cough, not like the scratchy kind or the kind with phlegm. It was like coughing my lungs out. I couldn’t sleep because of the aches,” he said. COVID-19 also came with a mental burden of guilt. Days four to seven, Feng was feeling slightly better but still very lethargic. Nurses took his vitals every four hours. He remembered high-tech equipment that would digitally capture his stats and send them online to the cloud, while doctors monitoring from afar would speak to him via speakerphone with excellent English. Feng was very disappointed on days 9 and 10 when he continued to test positive, even though he had no more symptoms. “The isolation really kicked in. You didn’t see anyone or the outside world, the air, the sun. I was mentally looking forward to going back to my regular life,” he said. “I felt lousy about it.” Fortunately, he tested negative on Day 11. “Just one more, and I can go home,” he told himself. And he did on Day 12. After a negotiation with his insurance agent at Krungthai Axa, the entirety of his 147,000 baht medical costs were covered by the firm. It would have been a considerable bill otherwise. His one day stay at Bangkok Christian Hospital alone amounted to 50,000 baht, and his 12-day stay at Bamrasnaradura cost about 97,000 baht. His close contacts also received free coronavirus tests due to their history of coming in close proximity with Feng. https://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2020/03/30/what-its-like-to-catch-and-survive-the-coronavirus-in-thailand/

Inspiring

Glad to relieve you of some of the chubby ones. Never rejected a masculine guy with a bit of paunch.

Trying to predict the future is often an exercise in futility but I won't let that keep me from giving it a try. When what eventually became known as Covid19 first began to get the attention of posters, the general sentiment of the board was that it's being overblown and the Silom/Patong scene would muddle through. Not an unreasonable assumption because at the time it was almost exclusively a China-centric issue. The first indications that it might be a bit more serious than that was a steady decline in tourists arriving into Bangkok. But most, myself included, assumed it would be a temporary setback. Fast forward a few months and we know that was short-sighted. I decided the best way to go out trying to discern the future was to look to the past. First--and probably most important--was the 1997 Asian financial Crisis. Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia (specific to Thailand's experience) I believe is noteworthy: From 1985 to 1996, Thailand's economy grew at an average of over 9% per year, the highest economic growth rate of any country at the time. Inflation was kept reasonably low within a range of 3.4–5.7%.[32] The baht was pegged at 25 to the U.S. dollar. On 14 May and 15 May 1997, the Thai baht was hit by massive speculative attacks. On 30 June 1997, Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said that he would not devalue the baht. However, Thailand lacked the foreign reserves to support the USD–Baht currency peg, and the Thai government was eventually forced to float the Baht, on 2 July 1997, allowing the value of the Baht to be set by the currency market. This caused a chain reaction of events, eventually culminating into a region-wide crisis.[33] Thailand's booming economy came to a halt amid massive layoffs in finance, real estate, and construction that resulted in huge numbers of workers returning to their villages in the countryside and 600,000 foreign workers being sent back to their home countries. The baht devalued swiftly and lost more than half of its value. The baht reached its lowest point of 56 units to the U.S. dollar in January 1998. The Thai stock market dropped 75%. Finance One, the largest Thai finance company until then, collapsed.[35] On 11 August 1997, the IMF unveiled a rescue package for Thailand with more than $17 billion, subject to conditions such as passing laws relating to bankruptcy (reorganizing and restructuring) procedures and establishing strong regulation frameworks for banks and other financial institutions. The IMF approved on 20 August 1997, another bailout package of $2.9 billion. Right after the 1997 Asian financial crisis income in the northeast, the poorest part of the country, rose by 46 percent from 1998 to 2006. Nationwide poverty fell from 21.3 to 11.3 percent.[ By 2001, Thailand's economy had recovered. The increasing tax revenues allowed the country to balance its budget and repay its debts to the IMF in 2003, four years ahead of schedule. The Thai baht continued to appreciate to 29 Baht to the U.S. dollar in October 2010. I'm not saying that the Covid19 crisis will rise to this level. It could very well run a course not unlike it is doing now in China. Yes, it was a crushing blow to the Chinese economy but conditions appear to be on the rebound. Although it's likely there will be hiccups along the way, we'd like to believe that the worst is behind them. If we agree that the first cases were detected (but not widely reported) in November that means the episode has taken roughly four months to stabilize. If Thailand can continue to pursue strong containment measures, there's little reason not to believe that it can have a similar outcome. But Thailand is a least a few months behind the curve compared to China so a it seems reasonable that it could achieve stabilization by June. But what would "stabilization" look like on the ground? I think we know what it won't be like: a magical return to business as usual overnight. More likely, it will be a slow rebound that may track track China's evolving progress as it claws its way back. The government announced yesterday that it's prepared to borrow heavily to stimulate the Thai economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) could once again emerge as a prime source of the needed funds. So how would this all translate to the status of the bars and other venues in the Silom/Patpong? That I find a bit more challenging because all jobs are not going to return at the same time or at the same rate. I'd think that jobs in the malls and food vending might be among the first to start climbing. Tourism would lag for several reasons. Tourists who would normally be counted upon return again may have lost their jobs or had their incomes reduced. Some of those who are able to travel may still have lingering fears about the virus. As airlines begin to slowly ramp up service, they'll likely be very cautious about increasing capacity. Although they'll all be looking for cash flow, there main objective will be optimum fleet utilization as opposed to engaging in fare wars with competitors. In other words, don't necessarily look for huge bargains. So aviation-related jobs will definitely tick up but at a restrained pace. The same with hotels. The results will be that those who made their living in these industries could well decide to look elsewhere. As for the entertainment zones and massage shops get the go-ahead to resume business, it's not impossible that young Thai men and women may look upon these occupations more favorably. They did, after all, once dominate these jobs. But what actually happens may be altogether different.

From Bangkok Post World's largest producer idled for last 10 days by Malaysian lockdown KUALA LUMPUR: A global shortage of condoms is looming, the world’s biggest producer warns, as a coronavirus lockdown has forced it to shut down production. Karex Bhd makes one in every five condoms used globally. It has not produced a single condom from its three Malaysian factories in the past 10 days because of the lockdown imposed by the government to halt the spread of the virus. That’s already a shortfall of 100 million condoms, normally marketed internationally by brands such as Durex, supplied to state healthcare systems such as Britain’s National Health Service or distributed by aid programmes including the UN Population Fund. The other major condom-producing countries are China, where the virus originated and led to widespread factory shutdowns, and India and Thailand, which are seeing infections spiking only now. “We are going to see a global shortage of condoms everywhere, which is going to be scary,” Karex chief executive Goh Miah Kiat told Reuters this week. https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/1887890/global-condom-shortage-looms

CNN Headline of the day: Why Walmart is seeing a rise in sales for tops, but not bottoms during the coronavirus crisis

From South China Morning Post European, US travellers scramble for flights as Asia’s key transit hubs close Phil Hopkins found himself dashing to find new flights after Hong Kong, one of Asia’s busiest transit hubs, on Monday announced it was banning stopovers and closing its borders to visitors. While his 25-hour flight from Surabaya back to Boston was meant to be a simple one, with a single stop in Hong Kong as he was flying Cathay Pacific, his journey swelled to four flights via Jakarta, Tokyo and Chicago – lasting a mammoth 34 hours and 30 minutes. “This is a very difficult situation. I was very surprised that they closed a major airport to all transit,” the 30-year-old American said. “Luckily I have been watching the news closely.” sia’s key transit airports are now no-go zones, swept up by lockdowns and sweeping travel restrictions as governments look to curb the spread of Covid-19. Hong Kong has joined Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia in banning short-term visitors, while major airlines have announced plans to cut all but a handful of flights. Katie Wingfield, 49, was coming to the end of a six-week trip across New Zealand and Australia, but the closure of Hong Kong as a transit hub meant her flight to London via Perth was no longer possible. There was a “mad scramble to find flights”, the British national said, as Hong Kong and Singapore were both closed to transit – the island nation having closed its borders to short-term visitors on March 22. Wingfield’s only remaining option was to pay A$19,000 (US$11,380) for two business-class tickets on Qatar Airways to London via Doha, the last major transit hub that is still open. In fact, Qatar Airways has in recent days been adding more flights on top of the 150 daily services it currently operates to get more people home, particularly those living in Australia. David Flynn, founder of online travel news website Executive Traveller, said: “As more and more airlines reduce flights and in many cases abandon routes, having a major gateway airport suddenly declared off-limits to transit passengers is sheer travel trauma.” Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, two major Asian carriers reliant on transfer passengers, have already slashed flight schedules and by next month will operate just 4 per cent of their planned services. In other virus-stricken countries in the region, including mainland China and South Korea, travel options via major airlines are few and far between. Emirates and Etihad this week grounded all flights, cutting off two connector airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Hong Kong is the worst-affected airport in terms of the number of flights cut so far, with an 81 per cent reduction in passenger capacity, according to aviation data company OAG. The airport is still the world’s busiest cargo airport, however, and has had more freighter flights than passenger flights over the past week. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3077252/coronavirus-european-us-travellers-scramble-flights-asias-key

From Coconuts Bangkok Health minister under fire again After scolding foreigners who don’t wear masks and saying that they’re “dirty”, the public health minister was in hot water again yesterday when he criticized healthcare workers who are infected with COVID-19. Answering a question to a reporter on Thursday regarding measures to prevent medical personnel from becoming infected with COVID-19, Anutin Charnvirakul criticized infected medical staff for not “taking good care of themselves.” “We’re not happy,” Anutin said. “Health personnel should set an example for the public [on how to protect themselves against the virus]. They should always be on alert and, especially at this time of an outbreak, they should best protect themselves.” Eleven healthcare professionals in total were reported to have been infected with COVID-19. https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/health-minister-under-fire-again-saying-infected-medical-staff-werent-being-careful/

From Bangkok Post Pattaya pub becomes community kitchen PATTAYA: The coronavirus pandemic has turned a pub in this resort city into a community kitchen serving free food for workers who have lost jobs when the global tourism industry ground to a halt. Surajai Attanart, owner of the Differ Night Pub, and his workers feed up to 1,000 residents who have fallen on hard times due to the pandemic that has infected 530,000 worldwide, killed more than 24,000 and prompted many countries including Thailand to close their borders. Thailand’s measures to suppress the spread of the disease have left many without jobs as many businesses, mainly in entertainment and spas, were closed down. Like many others, Surajai’s business is hurting, but he wanted to contribute to the community. “On our part, we’re giving out free food to people who have borne the brunt of the situation. At least, (this way), they can save around 40 to 50 baht for a meal per day, adding a lifeline for them,” Surajai, 43, told Reuters. About a thousand lunch boxes are packed daily in the pub’s kitchen, where dozens of the remaining workers gather to prepare ready-to-eat meals. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1887855/pattaya-pub-becomes-community-kitchen