reader

At the end of this article I'm posting a link to Gaybutton's board about the recent presentation by Pattaya Mail columnist Barry Kenyon at the Pattaya City Expats Club. The former British honorary consul to Pattaya discusses changes in the way the media has developed in Pattaya over the past three decades. I found it both entertaining and informative and thought you may, too. From Pattaya Mail By Brry Kenyon Employers throughout Thailand, particularly in the Pattaya region, are complaining that they cannot find enough manual workers to satisfy their demands. Officially, there are 600,000 Thais unemployed in government statistics. However, Poj Armamwattananint, vice-chair of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said that even unemployed Thais showed a great reluctance to accept labouring jobs. He thought there was no chance of this situation ending, especially as the Thai birth rate has been plummeting for years and continues to do so. Hence, attention has turned to finding more guest workers from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, the three countries which have Memoranda of Understanding with Thailand. There are currently an estimated 2.1 million migrant workers allowed to work legally here during the Covid-19 pandemic. The last Chonburi provincial figures, which include Pattaya, gave a total of 160,000 although the entire data is soft and does not include illegal entrants. About 80 percent are from Myanmar. Jessataporn Sriboo, managing director of the Chonburi foreign workers’ registration offices adjoining the Jomtien immigration bureau said, “In Pattaya City guest manual workers are needed for ongoing building projects, especially condominiums, as well as for many road repair projects which are sub-contracted by City Hall.” He added that outside Pattaya, there were also many vacancies for fruit pickers, factory workers and aboard fishing vessels. Mr Sriboo stressed that the main problem was the land border situation. “The official crossings are semi-closed because of Covid and only allow through goods traffic, returning residents and a small number of other foreigners.” He said that many Myanmars do approach the Thai immigration checkpoints only to be told that they require entry documentation and must immediately quarantine for 14 days in supervised accommodation. “The problem is that nobody, including potential employers, wants to pay for quarantine which, together with other registration costs, can amount to 20,000-30,000 baht.” As a result many wannabe labourers cross the borders illegally, with or without hired guides, and some end up in the Pattaya area where the streets are “paved with gold” according to rumour. However, the problem then is that they are not able to obtain proper work permit documentation because of their illegal status which, in turn, makes employers nervous of employing them because of inspections by immigration police or the Department of Labour. Illegal workers are not included in inter-country agreements about Covid health tests and access to free treatment in Thai public sector hospitals. As a partial solution, the Thai government has agreed to renew the work permits and visas of legal immigrants for up to two years, without their having to return to their homeland first as they were required to do pre-pandemic. In any case, the post-coup political situation in Myanmar makes journeying back home virtually impossible. =================================== Barry Kenyon at the Pattaya City Expats Club: https://gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10404&start=320

I agree to each his own. For me, getting to know some of the guys I've met in massage shops and bars has provided some of my best memories. I've found that once you get past the boiler plate exchanges, they're willing to share their personal histories with you. I travel 11,00 miles to meet them so I figure why would I not want to hear more about them.

From The Thaiger A team of Thai researchers found in a study that without face masks, there was a 10% risk of being infected with Covid-19 in public toilets. Random? The team, lead by a researcher from Chulabhorn Research Institute in Bangkok, found that the risk climbed to almost 100% if the Covid-19 infected person actually coughed or sneezed in the toilet. The study claimed, however, that if both wore N95 or surgical face masks, the risk was just 0.01%. Now, the researchers are warning the public not to take off face masks while in public toilets. Thammanitchpol Denpetkul, a lecturer at the faculty of tropical medicine at Mahidol University, told the Bangkok Post that some masks are much more effective than others. “Some cloth masks may not be good enough to protect against the virus … but if someone uses an N95 mask and wears it properly, the risk is one in 100,000.” The study was published in the Journal of Water and Health. The trend for Thailand’s daily new Covid infections is definitely heading down, for now. Despite the warnings of increased cases from some medical authorities in Thailand (up to 100,000 infections per day in one estimate), the trend over the past week has been down.

Today's edition of the Thaiger carried an article reportedly about a new provision of the Thai Pass program. I recall, however, that this policy previously existed on one form or another for some time now. From The Thaiger New info posted on the Thailand Pass website. The change, which starts tomorrow according to the announcement, will now allow applicants to arrive on a different day to the date originally approved in their Thailand Pass application, as long as it’s no more than 7 days either side of the original date. If you are travelling to Thailand at the moment, everyone, including Thais, need to register for a Thailand Pass, whether they are arriving under the Test & Go, Sandbox or Alternative Quarantine programs. Here’s the announcement… “Applicants can use their approved Thailand Pass QR Code to enter Thailand on different date of arrival if the new date of arrival is within 7 days before or after the original date of arrival as indicated on the QR Code. This starts from Monday, April 18 (tomorrow). CAAT (Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand) and the airlines have already been informed. You do need to rebook hotels and hotel van transfer plus change the dates on your insurance. But you don’t need to upload to the TP website. Just show at check-in and on arrival to health authorities.”

From CNN Travel Experts are predicting a summer of travel chaos. Here's why (CNN) — It's time! Travel restrictions are easing, infection rates are settling, you're fully vaccinated, and you're finally thinking about going on vacation. This is the year to make up for the holidays you didn't enjoy over the past two years. You've likely saved for two years to make it a good one. This -- finally -- is it. Or is it? While you may have got all your ducks in a row, the same can't be said for all of the travel industry. Not only are there ever-changing rules on testing, vaccines and quarantines to abide by when traveling; but once you've sorted your side out, getting to your destination looks set to be fraught with difficulty. Top of the chaos board? Aviation. The industry was, of course, decimated by the pandemic -- but many airlines and airports currently seem unable to cope with travel's resurgence. Countries on both sides of the Atlantic are seeing a slew of canceled flights due to lack of crew, long lines at airports thanks to understaffing, and the kind of rates for rental cars that make buying a vehicle look cheap. That's, in part, because everyone has the same idea as you -- only this week, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian announced that March 2022 had been the carrier's best month for sales in its history. Facing unprecedented demand, the much-reduced industry is struggling to cope. In the US, things have been brewing for the past year, as domestic travel has taken off again. Meanwhile in UK, the chaos at major airports has made the news every day for the past couple of weeks, and seen the national carrier, British Airways, reported to the industry regulator for potential law-breaking. The flying experience may be smoother elsewhere in Europe, but car rentals are not. A bubble car can set you back more than your hotel -- and that's before you factor in rocketing gas prices. Traveling within the US? That "carmageddon" is hitting just as hard. Welcome to a summer of chaos? Let's hope not -- but industry figures rather fear it will be. "I think it's a preview of things to come -- and I do think things are going to get worse," says consumer advocate Christopher Elliott, who's been monitoring the situation in the US and Europe. "The summer will be chaos," he believes -- so much so that he's advising his followers to avoid Europe in August, the peak of the peak season. That airline chaos? He lays it squarely at the door of the airlines. "I think we've been seeing some delays related to the pandemic, but I think they're baked into the equation at this point -- I don't think that's really a legitimate excuse," he says. "It's everyone's fault except their own. If they took a good look in the mirror they'd realize that during the pandemic they downsized and laid staff off, and now demand has come surging back and they're caught off guard. They haven't been able to staff up fast enough to meet demand." Continues with photos at https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/travel-chaos-summer-2022/index.html

It's not only a case of international carriers adjusting routes to avoid Russian airspace, Russian carriers run the risk of their leased Boeing and Airbus equipment being seized by lessors. The current issues of Aviation Week reports that 78 have already been grabbed. This leaves only 193 (Russian-built) aircraft available for international passenger service out of a fleet of 1,367. Meanwhile, US carriers have not only seen business return to pre-pandemic levels but some are surpassing that mark. The surge, however, comes with its own set of problems as airlines have neither sufficient pilots or flight attendants to handle the demand. Some are trimming capacity going into the busy summer season. Jet Blue (which has its sights set on buying LLC's Spirit and Frontier) faces the strongest headwinds because it has the greatest relative staffing shortfalls. Delta is the current favorite of investors and not only because it's been posting good numbers. A decade ago Delta purchased an oil refinery in Pennsylvania to supply future jet fuel requirements. Some observers though it was ill conceived, especially when the pandemic drove fuel prices down. Funny how things can change on a dime.

Definitely pursue all options. Four years ago I had a fully-refundable economy ticket that Qatar was reluctant to refund. I finally appealed to bank that issued my credit card and it posted a full credit to my account and debited Qatar. During the height of pandemic in 2020, Singapore processed a full refund on a discounted ticket because Thailand was closed.

From The Nation The refilling of Jomtien Beach was a triumph because it drew many tourists during the Songkran break, the Marine Department announced recently. The department expanded the 800-metre Jomtien beach’s width from just 5 metres to 51 metres in line with the Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob’s policy to prevent beach erosion. After refilling the beach, the department handed the management back to the Na Jomtien Municipality on December 29. The Marine Department said the refilling of the beach was a huge success because it managed to draw a lot of tourists during the Songkran holidays, allowing tourism operators there to earn good revenue.

From Reuters April 14 (Reuters) - Rubble and ashes, overlooked by a single golden pagoda, are almost all that remain of the wood and brick houses most people had built for themselves in the quiet riverside village of Bin in the Buddhist heartland of central Myanmar. Bin is one of more than 100 villages partially or completely burned by Myanmar's military since the start of this year, its homes among more than 5,500 civilian buildings razed as troops try to suppress opposition to last year's coup, according to media reports collated by activist group Data For Myanmar. Dozens of satellite images reviewed by Reuters, supplied by U.S earth-imaging company Planet Labs and U.S space agency NASA, show widespread torching of villages in the central part of the country. The photos, largely confirming the local media reports, are among the strongest evidence to date that the military is using widespread arson to step up its assault on resistance in the central Sagaing region, where residents have told Reuters there is armed opposition to the junta. Continues with video https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/troops-burn-villages-myanmar-heartland-seek-crush-resistance-2022-04-14/

According to media sources, the government will propose removing the Test & Go scheme and Thailand Pass at a meeting with the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on April 22. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is again requesting the cancellation with the tourism ministry, according to Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. The Thaiger reports: "If the changes and revisions are approved, the changes could start as early as May 1, allowing travellers to enter Thailand using their vaccine documents rather than waiting 1 to 5 days for the Thailand Pass to be approved." Suvarnabhumi Airport officials report that an arriving passenger can now use the downloaded Test and GO QR code to find the booth of their booked hotel. The airport’s general manager, said the QR code will tell travellers which desk to go to. I recently had by Thai Pass approved with 48 hours of submission. I booked my hotel through Agoda which seems to speed up the process because the Thai Pass software can confirm Agoda bookings immediately upon submission of reservation ID number. My confirmation from the hotel also included information on what desk number I should go to for my hotel transportation. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/time-to-say-goodbye-to-test-go-and-the-thailand-pass

You think? Not as if Spin9 was posting something scandalous or inappropriate. He was calling attention to a situation that was causing confusion among arrivals. Thai officials responded by improving conditions. I give them a thumbs up.

From AFP Taiwan's military published a handbook on Tuesday advising civilians on how to prepare for a potential Chinese invasion, including where to find bomb shelters and how to stockpile emergency supplies. China's Communist Party has never controlled self-ruled Taiwan but it nonetheless views the island as part of its territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary. Those threats have turned more bellicose under Xi Jinping, China's most authoritarian leader in a generation. Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine has also heightened fears that China might one day follow through on threats to annex its smaller neighbour. The 28-page guide contains information which "the general public can use as an emergency response guideline in a military crisis or natural disaster," defence ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang said during an introduction at an online press conference. It is the first time Taiwan's military has published such a handbook. Drawn from similar guides by Sweden and Japan, it tells residents where to find bomb shelters via mobile phone apps and what to do in an emergency including how to distinguish air raid sirens. "The guide is for the public to better prepare themselves before a war or disaster happens," Liu Tai-yi, an official of the ministry’s All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency, said. It includes information on basic survival skills for the public during air raids, massive fires, building collapses, power outages and natural disasters. "We hope the public can familiarise themselves where the safety shelters are beforehand," he added.

Next time I'm in Yangon think I'll just take a cab because only places I'll be going are the spas that Vessey posts about. 🙂

The good news is that Airports of Thailand officials said they have since increased the number of counters and arranged them alphabetically to make it easier for passengers to spot their hotel’s logo.

From Breaking Travel News With the reopening of Vietnam’s borders, Marriott International has announced plans to expand its portfolio in Vietnam, expecting to add nearly 9,000 rooms within the company’s portfolio, as well as debuting brands Ritz-Carlton Residences, Marriott Hotels, Westin, and Courtyard by Marriott. “Vietnam experienced impressive pre-pandemic economic growth driven in part by coordinated development policies and the strong investment in infrastructure,” said Rajeev Menon, President, Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China), Marriott International. “Our growth in Vietnam reflects the trust our local owners and franchisees continue to have in Marriott International, and we look forward to presenting them with opportunities to leverage our comprehensive portfolio of 30 brands, as well as our strong distribution network.” Marriott’s premium brands continue to resonate in Vietnam. As the most global brand within the portfolio, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, expects to make its debut in several new destinations across Vietnam, including on the Emerald Island of Phu Quoc, the world-famous UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay, the “City of Eternal Springs” Dalat and the shores of Binh Chau. A stylish new Renaissance Hotels is planned to open in the seafront city of Danang, while Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts plans to debut in Danang and Cam Ranh. The flagship Marriott Hotels brand is expected to debut in Hanoi, and Hoi An, while the Westin – the company’s leading wellness brand – is expected to open in Hanoi and Cam Ranh. Marriott Executive Apartments, the popular longer-stay brand, is also slated to start welcoming guests in Danang. Fairfield by Marriott is slated to be introduced in locations such as Vinh Yen, Ha Long and Hanoi, while several Courtyard by Marriott hotels are expected to open across Danang, Ha Long and Nha Trang. The highly anticipated The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Hanoi also expects to make its debut in Vietnam in 2024.

From Nikkei Asia Thailand's 'boys love' dramas stealing hearts around the world In Thailand, its "boys love" or BL dramas are popular mainly among young women, as the country is more accepting of the LGBTQ community than most other Asian countries. © GMMTV YUKIHIRO ENOMOTO, KOGA HASHIZUME and MARIMI KISHIMOTO, Nikkei staff writers TOKYO -- The hashtag #ThaiNuma (meaning #Thaiswamp) has skyrocketed on Japanese social media in recent years, thanks to the growing popularity of Thailand's "boys love" dramas. As some fans say of the captivating genre, "You'll never get out once you get stuck, like a bottomless swamp." The country thinks its BL dramas could storm the world like K-pop. Nearly every time Bright, 24, and Win, 23 -- popular actors of the megahit "2gether" said something during an October 2021 online event held for Thai and Japanese fans, followers raved with replies like "Thank you for a wonderful time" or "I will love you forever." The hashtag #BrightWinJAPAN became the No. 1 trending hashtag at the time. Bright and Win each have more than 10 million followers on Instagram. They even held live meet-and-greets with fans in Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, New York and London in 2020.In Thailand, its "boys love" or BL dramas are popular mainly among young women, as the country is more accepting of the LGBTQ community than most other Asian countries. © GMMTV Continues with videos https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Media-Entertainment/Thailand-s-boys-love-dramas-stealing-hearts-around-the-world

What may be holding things up is Airports of Thailand's reported lack of preparedness for the large influx in international arrivals after April 1 when the pre-departure PCR test was dropped from Test-and-Go requirements. The Thai Enquirer has published articles, describing the chaos at Suvarnabhumi that overwhelmed staff. If the PCR test is indeed replaced by the rapid antigen test and administered at the airport upon arrival, authorities likely fear an even greater dilemma when passenger numbers increase anew. ======================================= From The Thai Enquirer After a famous Thai YouTuber exposed to the world how lost tourists were at the airport upon their arrival in Thailand, causing national shame overnight, it took just a day for officials to address the issue. Even worse, the officials claimed the photos of the crowded airport hallway were taken during rush hours, when most passengers were arriving. More travelers entered the kingdom this month as the government removed the mandatory pre-arrival RT-PCR test certificate under the Test and Go scheme. On Sunday, Atichan Cherngchavano, the owner of the YouTube channel Spin9 with over 631,000 subscribers, shared a post shedding light on how chaotic Suvarnabhumi Airport was while travelers were struggling to find their vans to their hotels to take their post-arrival RT-PCR test. “No one was able to go anywhere; they were put together in long queues,” Atichan wrote. “Hotel staff screamed their hotels’ names until their voices cracked.” Atichan said there was no directory guiding passengers, except for a pack of hotels’ logos on one counter. “Everything is placed randomly and unalphabetically.” Once the passengers found their hotel counter, they had to join a long queue since there was only one staff handling bookings for many hotels, he added. His post has gone viral, with over 37,000 retweets and 6,600 shares across Facebook. The embarrassment on the faces of those officials prompted them to release a statement to rescue their integrity a day later. “Such traffic occurred during the peak hours,” said Airports of Thailand (AOT), the state-run operator of airports in Thailand. According to the statement, Suvarnabhumi Airport had to handle an uptick in passenger numbers, from 6,000 – 7,000 to 9,000 – 10,000 a day, amid Covid-19 precautions. The officials also said they had increased the number of counters and arranged them alphabetically to make it easier for passengers to spot their hotel’s logo. No doubt the airport officials were quick to respond to those complaints. Sadly, this was nothing more than the outcome of a slap in the face from one of the prominent influencers who is able to create online outrage overnight. It proves the unflattering fact that those authorities are only willing to take action properly to facilitate their citizens and guests when the problems cause them embarrassment to some extent. Given how the government is treating foreign visitors who contributed substantially to the country’s economy prior to the pandemic, Thailand’s tourism prosperity may not be on the horizon anytime soon.

Read the trip reports in this forum. Numerous members have generously posted about their experiences in recent months. Within a few hours, you will acquire a ton of information. That way you'll be prepared to ask specific questions if you still have any. Good luck with your trip.

Hope this heralds the opening of land borers to the ASEAN guys. From The Thaiger Thailand is looking to bring in more labourers from neighbouring countries with the help of recruitment agencies, as the government seeks to employ an army of around 150,000 foreign workers to make up for the country’s low percentage of people willing to do manual labour jobs. But the general public is worried about the clutter and spread of Covid-19 from migrant workers, sparking a debate about immigration procedures. The labour ministry is attempting to solve the shortage in labour in two ways. The first is to use the labour memorandum of understanding procedure, or MoU, to bring in people from three neighbhouring nations to work for Thai companies, according to the director-general of the Department of Employment, Pairoj Chotikasathien. Thailand employers have already used the MoU platform to apply to recruit nearly 168,00 workers, requesting approximately 117,000 people from Myanmar, 39,000 people from Cambodia, and 12,000 people rom Laos. So far, 144,709 of the applicants have been approved, with applications submitted to their home countries. Around 6,000 workers from Cambodia and Laos have already entered Thailand. The second way to address labour shortages is by allowing migrant workers who are currently in Thailand stay and work legally. More than 2 million workers who have already arrived in Thailand can now apply for jobs and stay in Thailand rather than returning to their home countries, Pattaya Mail reported.

I agree. In 20+years, I never had an issue with bringing someone back, and that includes the grande dame Dusit Thani. As others have said above, the best hotels exercise discretion in these situations. One of the few that's been known for interrogating guests about joiners is the Moniein off Surawong.

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon The busiest businesses these days in Greater Pattaya are the bulldozer and demolition crews as the city’s skyscraper future unfolds more clearly every day. The pandemic created a ghost town image in the city and encouraged land owners to sell out during a recession. Now it is difficult to find anywhere in the popular districts without seeing vast tracts of empty terrain awaiting the necessary rebuilding permits from the Division of Public Works. Of course, it’s not a new phenomenon. The city’s first high rise, Center Condominium on South Road, opened in 1991, was boosted by foreigners keen to own a unit in their own name. Currently the tallest building in the region is Reflection Jomtien Beach Oceanfront Tower, standing 827 feet tall and completed as early as 2013. And not all developments are majestic condominiums. Over at Mabprachan Lake, a near one million square meter (or 566 rai) medical city is currently under construction thanks to investment by the Eastern Economic Corridor, American universities and others. Amongst the many developments now in early tow is the private-sector, mega project Aquatic District Pattaya to be wedged between Hard Rock Hotel on Beach Road and Central Festival on Second Road. Five major international hotels are planned there as well as a host of magnet-attractions such as amusement parks and a wellness center, though no opening date has been published. One of many projects now approaching completion is the 500 room mixed-use hotel and condominium block on Second Road opposite Central Festival. It is being promoted as a MICE feature (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) in accordance with City Hall’s five year plan called BLUE (business, leisure, ultimate experience). Old Pattaya, the bachelors’ paradise, is shrinking even as the bars and massage parlours that have opened again report a pickup in business: the Covid threat is hopefully diminishing and the immigration bureau is requiring fewer entry documents. Much attention is being paid to the future of Walking Street as an emblem of what Pattaya used to be. No final decisions appear to have been taken, but the profit margins had shrunk dramatically long before coronavirus descended. Parts of Pattaya’s most famous landmark are already derelict or even demolished. The pressures for the resort to move on are becoming irresistible.

The meeting today--as expected--produced nothing concrete but more nuanced comments. From The Thai Enquirer Entry regulations could be eased by May depending on the outbreak situation after the Songkran holiday period, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said on Friday. “The meeting agreed in principle, but has yet to approve the proposals,” said Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, the CCSA’s spokesman, noting that many regulations could even be lifted by July. “The prime minister asked to see the effects from Songkran first,” he said. The Ministry of Public Health proposed for the government to replace the mandatory RT-PCR test on arrival with an ATK test in May. The private sector has also been pressuring the government to lift all entry regulations as the government is preparing to declare Covid as endemic by July. Ahead of the CCSA’s meeting on Friday, CCSA advisor Dr Udom Kachintorn, told reporters that the true number of Covid infections in Thailand is closer to 100,000 per day. He added that the number of internal cases is much higher than imported cases, and entry restrictions could be lifted by July. “The number of asymptomatic people is now around 50,000-60,000 per day, and if counting people who are infected but have not been tested with ATK, the total number of infections is now around 100,000 per day,” Dr. Udom said. When asked if he agreed with the proposal to replace the RT-PCR test on arrival with an ATK, Udom remarked that as long as the number of infected arrivals are much less than domestic cases, the entry regulations should be eased in line with international practices. “The RT-PCR test 72 hours before departure was lifted on April 1, and as for the test on arrival, it could be ease and by late June and July, the tests should be lifted to support the economy,” he said. ============================= From Richard Barrow.com The infection rate of all travellers entering Thailand. n November: 0.13% n December: 0.45% n January: 3.73% n February: 2.25% n March: 0.58% April: 0.42% (upward trend) n Test & Go: 0.38% n Sandbox: 0.99% n Quarantine: 1.26%

From The Thaiger The Russian PM, Mikhail Mishustin, has revealed that Russia would open its sky to 52 “friendly” countries from April 9 onwards after being closed to prevent the spread of Covid-19. And that other matter. On the list is Thailand who says they’re ready to welcome the Russian travellers back. There’s also a long list of aircraft lessors waiting for leased Russian planes to leave Russian airspace so they can be “repossessed” after the leasing of Boeing or Airbus aircraft to Russian airlines a violation of the current international sanctions on Russia. The Russian PM said, starting from April 9, Russian would cancel the Covid-19 prevention measure that limited flights to the country. The regular and charter flights between Russia and other 52 countries would be resumed, including China, India, and others “considered friendly”. The countries on the list are Thailand, Algeria, Argentina, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Venezuela, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Israel, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Iraq, Kenya, China, North Korea, Costa Rica, Kuwait. Lebanon, Lesotho, Mauritius, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Mozambique, Moldova, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Serbia, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, Fiji, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Jamaica. The countries that aren’t included in the list or are considered “unfriendly” are the US, Canada, the European Union, the UK (including mandated territories: Jersey, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, and Gibraltar), Ukraine, Montenegro, Switzerland, Albania, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein. Monaco, Norway, San Marino, North Macedonia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Micronesia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Taiwan.

From Bangkok Post Govt plans to ease rules to lure tourists The government will on Friday consider scrapping mandatory RT-PCR tests for foreign visitors arriving in the country as it further eases entry rules to attract tourists. Anutin Charnvirakul, deputy prime minister and public health minister, on Thursday said the Department of Disease Control (DDC) will submit a proposal to end RT-PCR tests during a Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) meeting on Friday. "If approved [by the CCSA], foreign travellers would only need to take antigen tests upon arrival," Mr Anutin said. Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the DDC, said the green light from the CCSA over the matter could see the new rule come into effect after the Songkran festival, which starts on Wednesday. However, a source at the CCSA said the shift to antigen tests may take effect next month.

After a long absence from the headlines, the news returns to Thailand's efforts to acquire two new submarines from China. From the Pattaya Mail Thailand may scrap Chinese submarine deal if no German engines available Government officials have warned that a massive government-to-government submarine procurement deal could be scrapped if China is unable to fit the engines specified in the purchase agreement. The officials were responding to questions from reporters after it was reported that a German company had refused to supply MTU396 diesel engines to China for use in the S26T Yuan-class submarine being built for the Royal Thai Navy. Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said he had instructed the navy to do everything possible to complete the deal, but acknowledged that the contract would be terminated if China failed to meet the terms of the agreement. The premier insisted, however, that any cancellation would have no impact on Thai-Chinese relations and that both sides were working closely to resolve the issue. The submarine’s engines were to be supplied by Germany’s MTU under the terms of the agreement, but the company was unable to sell them due to an embargo because they are classified as military/defense items. Navy spokesman Vice Adm Pokkrong Monthatphalin said the Navy will hold talks with China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co (CSOC) this month to resolve the issue. CSOC had reportedly requested that the terms of the contract be changed to allow for Chinese engines of comparable quality, such as the MWM 620, but the navy says it is sticking to the original contract. (NNT)