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From Pattaya News Health Minister reportedly not keen on easing of Covid restrictions, especially legally reopening nightlife and bar industry Bangkok, Thailand- Recent statements from the Public Health Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul seem to contradict statements made by the head of the Department of Disease Control earlier this week about easing Covid-19 restrictions even as cases rise but hospitalizations and serious cases remain very low. According to statements made by Mr. Anutin yesterday, February 7th, 2022, he has stated for people to “not rush to conclusions” about easing restrictions and seemed to pour cold water especially on the legal reopening of the nightlife and entertainment industry, which has been technically closed since April of 2021. The industry has been allowed to convert to “restaurants” in the interim but this has still had many rules, certifications, and restrictions that business owners claim cripple their income and industry, including a ban on dancing and an unpopular 11:00 P.M. national closing time even in popular tourist zones like Pattaya and Phuket. Mr. Anutin reportedly stated, according to Thai media, that there were “no plans” for reopening this industry anytime soon, despite ongoing outcry from business owners in this sector. Critics of the closures claim the ongoing restrictions around nightlife and entertainment are mostly political and have little to nothing to do with Covid-19. The CCSA, however, denies this and says they only care about people’s health and believe these venues run as “normal” are still a major threat to the spread of Covid-19. Anutin has also repeatedly expressed annoyance around lack of mask-wearing compliance in public, especially among foreign tourists, which also appears to shed doubt on the possibility of easing outdoor mask “mandates” set by provincial governors. This also comes as the Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan O’Cha, stated in a speech yesterday that Thailand needs to learn to “live with Covid-19 normally.” Regardless of what appear to be contradictions or different statements from different agencies, the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA, confirmed that they will be meeting to hear proposals from different agencies and organizations around Covid-19 restrictions later this week. TPN notes that Mr. Anutin’s opinion, although it carries heavy weight, is only one of many, and the Prime Minister chairs the CCSA and any final decisions on easing of Covid-19 restrictions. Mr. Anutin has, however, stated that the Ministry of Public Health DOES plan on changing the way the ministry presents Covid-19 information, changing focus to serious hospitalizations and deaths vs. cases. It is unclear exactly when this change would take place, however. There is, however, no promise that any restriction would be lifted or announced, including the much-despised “Day 5” required test for tourists entering Thailand on the Test and go program. We will keep a close eye on any and all final announcements this week or possibly early next week. https://thepattayanews.com/2022/02/08/thai-public-health-minister-reportedly-not-keen-on-easing-of-covid-restrictions-especially-legally-reopening-nightlife-and-bar-industry/

From The Thaiger / Reuters Following moves from other Southeast Asian countries, like Thailand, to gradually reopen borders, Malaysia is considering a full reopening of borders starting March 1, allowing vaccinated travellers to enter without mandatory quarantine requirements. The plan is to speed up the country’s economic recovery, according to its coronavirus recovery council today. The Southeast Asian country that shut down its borders in March 2020 has recently allowed Singaporeans to enter without quarantine as part of a bilateral agreement. A government advisory body said travellers would be subjected to Covid-19 screening prior to departure and upon arrival. “This means tourists can visit, investors can enter… It means AirAsia can fly again, as an example.” Coronavirus infections in Malaysia have risen to their highest level in four months in recent weeks, which officials say is due to the spread of the Omicron variant. A total of 13,944 new infections were reported today, bringing the total number of cases to over 2.9 million, with more than 32,000 deaths – one of Asia’s highest fatality and infection rates per capita. However, the majority of the cases were asymptomatic or moderate which the country’s health ministry owes to the country’s high vaccination rate. Around 98% of Malaysia’s adult population has received two vaccine doses and more than half of a booster shot. Approximately 89% of children aged 12 to 17 have been vaccinated, with children aged 5 to 11 receiving their first dose last week. https://thethaiger.com/news/regional/malaysia-en/malaysia-considers-full-reopening-in-march-to-vaccinated-travellers

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon There have been several complaints to Pattaya Mail that some local and foreign-based insurance companies have been guilty of misinformation when advising both tourists and expats. What follows is a summary of the requirements of both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Thai Immigration. The rules are very different for those foreigners entering the country as opposed to those seeking an extension of stay once here. Applicants for entry, mostly Test and Go and Sandbox aspirants, are required to obtain a minimum US$50,000 cover to cover the period of their visa. This can be solely Covid-related or general medical insurance or a combination of both. The obvious exceptions are work permit holders who come under the health ministry’s social insurance scheme without separate cover. But most extensions of stay obtained at Thai immigration offices do not require an insurance certificate. Nor currently are they required to show proof of vaccination, contrary to some internet reports. As examples, holders of 30 days visa exempt stamps or 60 day tourist visas do not need insurance to claim their extra month. Nor do eligible foreigners applying for the two months “Covid” extension, although this well-used facility is on life support already as the March deadline looms. The obvious exception to all of the above is the contentious O/A retirement visa (awarded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the subsequent annual renewal (given by Immigration). These both currently require a separate general health insurance of at least 400,000 baht inpatient and 40,000 baht outpatient, to be upgraded to US$100,000 or 3 million baht from October 1, 2022. There will also be a new facility for O/A visa holders to use self-insurance if they are refused by insurance companies, although the fine print of do-it-alone is yet to be announced. But the O/A visa rules do not apply to other expats such as retirees with an initial O visa, holders of marriage or family extensions of stay or Elite card holders. Some commercial advertisements on the internet seem to be deliberately blurring the distinction between retirees holding different kinds of permission in order to maximize insurers’ income. However, it is true that holders of the little-used Special Tourist Visa (which offers a stay of up to 9 months) and the OX ten year visa (introduced in 2016 but complex and bureaucratic) do require health insurance for both entry and extension. The immigration bureau hotline confirmed that there are currently no plans to extend medical insurance beyond the parameters listed. However, the goal posts can certainly change and there is discretion vested in immigration bureau and individual officers when it comes to handling a particular case. Equally, generalizations by commercial income generators such as “all retirees need insurance” or “you need insurance to stay in Thailand” are speculative baloney. https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/insurance-companies-exaggerating-cover-requirements-for-thailand-388716

From Bangkok Post The government will open discussions to set up travel bubbles with China and Malaysia this month to attract more foreign visitors, following the resumption of the Test & Go scheme on Feb 1. Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Monday authorities will discuss the details of a possible travel bubble agreement with China's minister for culture and tourism. Talks will also be held with Malaysia later this month, he said. The number of visitors allowed to visit Thailand under the travel bubble arrangement will be capped, and their movements will also be limited to certain areas in an effort to prevent fresh Covid-19 outbreaks, he said. Under the new travel bubble arrangements, tourists won't have to quarantine upon arrival, but their entry will be subject to special protocols which regulate the kind of visa they can use to come in, where they can stay and which flights to take. https://www.gayguides.com/forums/forum/3-gay-thailand/?do=add

It's worth noting that just about all Test-and-Go arrivals who've entered in February did do under the old Test-and-Go policy that required only day one PCR test. From Richardbarrow.com The infection rate of all travellers entering Thailand by air: November: 0.13% December: 0.45% January: 3.73% February: 3.58% so far Test & Go: 0.59% Sandbox: 5.00%

There seems to be no limits to which the leaders of Myanmar will go in order to tighten their grip on power. From Channel News Asia / Reuters Fearing junta, hundreds of Myanmar parents disown dissident children Every day for the last three months, an average of six or seven families in Myanmar have posted notices in the country's state-owned newspapers cutting ties with sons, daughters, nieces, nephews and grandchildren who have publicly opposed the ruling military junta. The notices started to appear in such numbers in November after the army, which seized power from Myanmar's democratically elected government a year ago, announced it would take over properties of its opponents and arrest people giving shelter to protesters. Scores of raids on homes followed. Lin Lin Bo Bo, a former car salesman who joined an armed group resisting military rule, was one of those disowned by his parents in about 570 notices reviewed by Reuters. "We declare we have disowned Lin Lin Bo Bo because he never listened to his parents' will," said the notice posted by his parents, San Win and Tin Tin Soe, in state-owned newspaper The Mirror in November. Speaking to Reuters from a Thai border town where he is living after fleeing Myanmar, the 26-year-old said his mother had told him she was disowning him after soldiers came to their family home searching for him. A few days later, he said he cried as he read the notice in the paper. "My comrades tried to reassure me that it was inevitable for families to do that under pressure," he told Reuters. "But I was so heartbroken." Targeting families of opposition activists was a tactic used by Myanmar's military during unrest in 2007 and the late 1980s but has been used far more frequently since the Feb 1, 2021 coup, according to Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, senior advocacy officer at rights group Burma Campaign UK, which uses the old name for the former British colony. Over the past year, security forces have killed about 1,500 people, many of them demonstrators, and arrested nearly 12,000 people, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a monitoring group. The military has said those figures are exaggerated. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/fearing-junta-hundreds-myanmar-parents-disown-dissident-children-2483011

From Channel News Asia Omicron-specific booster may not be needed CHICAGO: A study in monkeys pitting the current Moderna COVID-19 booster against an Omicron-specific booster showed no significant differences in protection, suggesting an Omicron-specific booster may not be needed, US government researchers reported on Friday (Feb 4). The study involved monkeys vaccinated with two doses of Moderna's vaccine who were dosed nine months later with either the conventional Moderna booster or one specifically targeting the Omicron variant. The researchers tested various aspects of the animals' immune responses and exposed them to the virus. They found both boosters produced "comparable and significant increases in neutralising antibody responses" against all of the variants of concern, including Omicron, according to the study, posted on bioRxiv ahead of peer review. Both Moderna and BioNTech-Pfizer have started testing Omicron-specific boosters of their vaccines in human clinical trials. "This is very, very good news," Daniel Douek, a vaccine researcher at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who co-lead the study, said in a telephone interview. "It means we don't need to radically redesign the vaccine to make it an Omicron vaccine." https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/china-argentina-pledge-deepen-partnership-expand-trade-2482431

From Channel News Asia BEIJING: He's the only one who can top Beijing's Winter Olympics mascot "Bing Dwen Dwen" in a popularity match. Japan's star figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, still hidden from public view but finally confirmed to be in Beijing, has become the top trend on China's social media site Weibo, outdoing the country's most-sought-after mascot in its native land. After keeping fans and journalists on tenterhooks for days, the Japanese Olympic Committee said the twice Olympic champion arrived in Beijing on Sunday (Feb 6), though he would not be appearing in front of media. His arrival set off news flashes, while the Olympics' official Twitter feed also gave him the VIP treatment with the headline: "Touchdown: Hanyu Yuzuru has arrived in Beijing for the Olympic Winter Games." On Weibo, the phrase "The time for Hanyu to compete is set" was number one by Sunday evening, with fawning fans pouring out their admiration for the "Ice Prince". "I will trust him unconditionally, I will cheer for him unconditionally," wrote a user nicknamed "fanyuemoxiang". "No matter what the result, nothing will change you as a great athlete in my heart. All the best to Hanyu at the Beijing Olympics. I started to learn about figure skating because of you," said "Lunongqiuzhong". https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/china-argentina-pledge-deepen-partnership-expand-trade-2482431

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Thai law is explicit. When you enter an eatery, whether one serving hearty meals or a booze bar offering stale nuts, you should prove you have had an antigen test within the last 72 hours or submit to one at the entrance administered by staff. In the optimistic words of the government-friendly Pattaya radio ad, “If they don’t ask, you walk.” There is very little sign of walking. Soi Buakhao, the current center of Pattaya nightlife, is packed nightly with Thais, expats and tourists but no evidence of any health checks whatsoever in the venues visited. A motorbike cop parked near Tree Tops said, “That’s up to health inspectors not us, we are here to check the bars close at 11 pm.” However, the Ministry of Health doesn’t usually work after dark. On Walking Street, a mixture of bright lights, music and derelict buildings these days, there were two voluntary “testing stations”, one charging 100 baht for a genuine ATK result, but most venues seemed unconcerned about the law. The doorman at a well-known seafood restaurant said, “We want to welcome customers, not examine their credentials.” At the Jomtien Complex, the hub of what remains of the resort’s gay scene, several bars and eateries sporting Safety and Health Authority stickers, were indeed administering customer health tests. But not all. A nearby cafe asked us to self-administer a test for 50 baht. “But don’t push the stick too far up your nose,” advised the waiter. “We don’t want to start a panic.” Meanwhile, at a high class buffet in north Pattaya, security staff were checking that customers had brought evidence of a recent antigen test. If not, one was offered for 100 baht. A customer showed a picture of an antigen kit on his cell phone, but without any actual proof of the date it was taken. “It always works,” he said, “I use the same photo with a different date written on a card.” “Pattaya is a city of illusion,” said long term expat Phil Ashton who works as a chef in a five star hotel, “all about appearances rather than reality,” adding that the last two years have bankrupted many Pattaya businesses and left others gasping for breath. He concludes, “A drowning man doesn’t reach for his indigestion tablets.” https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/pattaya-restaurants-ignoring-health-tests-on-entry-388546

From Bangkok Post Thailand has become an aged society and will become a "super-aged" society by 2031 when 28% of the population will be 60 or older. The country has witnessed a low birth rate for several decades, but it was not until last year that more deaths than births were recorded. In 2021, deaths outnumbered births at 563,650 versus 544,570. Experts are alarmed by the low birth rate and have suggested the government needs a policy to promote a higher fertility rate, but many people are unfussed. With unemployment among new graduates expected to rise in the Covid-battered economy, some say it is probably better off this way. "It's a good trend, isn't it? People are struggling to make a living and the jobless are everywhere," said a resident in Bangkok when asked about the low birth rate. he experts' warning about a shrinking workforce and growing retirees in the next 10 years as a result of below-replacement-level fertility is not as pressing as the bills due at month's end. "The low birth rate, society is full of retirees. Where will we find the young to drive the economy? Well, we can leave it to the future," said another Bangkok resident. However, demographers and economists stress the issue should not be framed as a concern for the future and insist policy-makers must start planning now to reverse the trend or the country could end up in trouble. Pramote Prasartkul, a demography professor at the Institute for Population and Social Research at Mahidol University, said the current demographic situation is a stark contrast to the one during 1963-1983, when about 1 million babies were born each year. "We call it a population 'tsunami'. It is a powerful wave that makes tremendous impacts. The more than one million who were born in 1963 are entering retirement age next year," he said. Saowaruj Rattanakhamfu, a research director at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), said an ageing society creates opportunities to develop goods and services to meet the demands of the elderly. ''Thailand has entered an ageing society earlier than most countries in Asean, so it should seize the opportunity to develop new goods and services," she said. In the next 10 years the number of elderly in Asean and China will grow; the elderly population in Asean will reach 70 million while that in China will be 200 million, she said. "The issue is challenging. But society has relaxed with same-sex marriages," Dr Bunyarit said. "If the law is more relaxed, they could have their own children." https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/2259507/when-baby-well-runs-dry =================================== China's pet economy booms as more millennials delay marriage and kids for fur babies HONG KONG: He Qi, an English teacher from Guangzhou city, divorced last month. He and his ex-wife split their properties quickly and amicably, but could not escape a big quarrel over their two dearest possessions - the pet dogs. "They are my children and I would be very sad no matter which one left me," the 36-year-old said. In the end, they decided to take one each. "I think I will get another small dog or cat soon, I don't want my 'son' to feel lonely, and I think my ex-wife will very likely feel the same way," He said. A growing number of young Chinese are choosing to marry later, delay parenthood, or simply abandon both altogether, due to rising living costs and the demands of work life. At the same time, many of them are choosing to raise cats or dogs, creating a thriving pet economy that is bucking a stubborn trend of weak consumer sentiment in the world's No. 2 economy. Jack Bian, the founder of Hangzhou-based Lang Xiao Zhua, which translates to Waves and Paws, a popular social media platform for pet lovers, said as more young Chinese opt to live with pets it could "delay plans for giving birth". 'We've woken up': young Chinese 'lie flat' as protest against life's grind "Young people in China are currently marrying and having children at a later age. The general consensus in their 20s and 30s is that stress and the cost of living is high, and working hours very long," said Bian, whose organisation has more than 30,000 members. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2259639/chinas-pet-economy-booms-as-more-millennials-delay-marriage-and-kids-for-fur-babies

Battling politicians are more keyed in to using the changing daily numbers of test results to burnish their image than trying to get the country back on its feet. Every day they get a new opportunity for another photo op, leaving the public bewildered and agitated. When you couple this with developing doubts about the efficacy of the testing system itself, and the potential to approach it more as a profit center than a diagnostic tool, the greater the prospect for confusion about tourism rules going forward.

From Bloomberg News / BP Test & Go 'cumbersome', says hotel tycoon Thailand should look to the example of the more liberal reopening policies of Europe and travel hot spots such as the Maldives to revive its tourism industry, says Bill Heinecke, the founder and chairman of Minor International Plc. Current entry requirements for vaccinated foreign travellers are too “cumbersome”, the Bangkok-based billionaire said in an interview with Bloomberg News. “If you’re vaccinated and tested you must be allowed to travel without so much paperwork,” said Mr Heinecke, who heads one of Asia’s largest hospitality, restaurant and lifestyle companies. Tourism numbers in Thailand are “going to be tough and challenging for a while until the government changes its position”, he said. While Thailand this month resumed its Test & Go programme, Mr Heinecke labelled the requirements — multiple Covid tests, the need to use an online registration system and having an insurance policy with at least $50,000 cover — as “cumbersome”. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2259263/test-go-cumbersome-says-hotel-tycoon

From Nikkei Asia The 244-room Andaz Bangkok will overlook Lumphini Park in the central business district. (Image rendition courtesy of One Bangkok) BANGKOK -- Hyatt Hotels debuts the first Andaz brand hotel in Thailand next year, when a 244-room luxury lodging opens in the planned One Bangkok office-shopping-residential complex in the Southeast Asian nation's capital. Andaz One Bangkok, in the central business district at Wireless Road and Rama IV Road, will overlook Lumphini Park. With the Ritz-Carlton also set to open in the complex, the area looks to become a new hub for Bangkok's luxury hotels. One Bangkok, a joint venture between Thai conglomerate TCC Assets and developer Frasers Property Holdings, said it reached a management agreement with a Hyatt affiliate to bring Andaz to Bangkok. The hotel looks to begin operations when the One Bangkok complex opens its first phase in October-December 2023. Andaz operates in Singapore and Indonesia's Bali, but this will be Thailand's first. Bangkok's first Ritz-Carlton also opens in One Bangkok next year. Featuring 259 guestrooms, including 33 suites, the hotel will occupy the first 25 floors of a 50-story building. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Bangkok will follow two Ritz-related properties in Thailand: The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui and Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. Nikkeihttps://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Travel-Leisure/Bangkok-luxury-hotel-scene-heats-up-with-Andaz-joining-mix

From Bangkok Post Phuket issues alert on infected arrivals Phuket is asking the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to improve Covid-19 screening measures for international visitors, following an alarming number of tourists testing positive on arrival. This is suspected to have largely stemmed from fake negative results from pre-departure testing or inaccurate testing that's only been detected after travellers arrive. The call was made by Pichet Panapong, Phuket's vice governor, during Thursday's teleconference between Phuket Covid-19 control organisations and the CCSA's operations centre. This number is expected to rise given the many tourists applying to enter the resort island under the government's quarantine-free Test & Go scheme that resumed on Tuesday. "False Covid-19 RT-PCR test results are assumed to have something to do with the sharp rise in the number of post-arrival positive tests among tourists,'' he said. On Monday and Tuesday, a total of 7,742 travellers arrived in Thailand, 344 of whom tested positive for Covid upon arrival. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2258347/phuket-issues-alert-on-infected-arrivals

From ScandAsia Warning against traveling to Thailand Travelers to Thailand whose PCR tests return a positive are in a very high risk of being caught up in a web of rules that nobody warned them of before their departure. The SHA+ and ASQ hotels where the travelers are required to stay, must all have contracts with a specific hospital, usually a private hospital. If a traveler staying at their hotel tests positive, the guest has no choice but to be hospitalized at that specific hospital for 7-10 days at their own cost – usually around 10.000 THB per day. In most cases, tourists are requested to pay upfront this amount and coordinate insurance claims by themselves later – holding the risk of not being compensated for their hospital expenses. Sharing hotel room in close contact with a COVID patient also subjects you to quarantine 7-10 days as a high risk close contact person. This is usually not included in the insurance coverage so it would be completely at your own cost. The PCR tests are performed by the hospital who has the exclusive rights to receive all the patients from the hotel they stay at. You must do two PCR tests on the first day and the fifth day of your traveling, and the authorities prefer that you test both times at the same hotel. Some travelers question, if the PCR tests follow same procedures as back in their home countries, since many find the positive result when arriving Thailand, when they just tested negative 48 hours ago before flight departure. All travelers believe they are adequately insured because when they applied for the Thailand Pass, their health insurance was approved. But when the traveler arrives here, it some times turns out that although the Thai embassy or consulate had accepted their insurance policy, they are not covered anyway because of the fine print in the insurance policy. Sometimes, the insurance only covers if the patient has symptoms or is hospitalized in a hospital, not a ‘hospitel’. The Thai hospitals will keep the patient in quarantine regardless of symptoms and for the maximum days they can charge for, all solely depending on the opinion of the doctors’ team at the assigned hospital your hotel is associated with. In other situations, it has turned out that the insurance only covers if the patient is admitted to a public hospital. But the patient has no right to refuse to be hospitalized at the private hospital or hospitel facility which has obtained an exclusive contract with their hotel. Also in this case, the traveler will have to pay the amount at around 100.000 THB themselves. A resident Dane in Bangkok who has been part of a network to come to the rescue of these unfortunate travelers who were trapped in this web of rules says to ScandAsia, that frankly she has come to the sad conclusion that the safest thing to do is not to fly to Thailand on a Thailand Pass until this hotel-hospital alliance is broken or the insurance policies that the embassies accept follow standards that are in compliance with these hotel-hospital contracts. There are so many special situations and describing them all is not possible here, she says. But she wants to add one piece of useful advice: If you have had Covid in the past 2-3 months before your arrival to Thailand then you must remember to bring along with you PCR proof and preferably a medical recovery certificate stating your Covid history in detail with a doctor’s signature. This documentation may help you not to become yet another unfair victim of the medical care protocol. If you show this evidence and insist that your positive result is most likely because the test is picking up dead cells from your past infection, you may be able to avoid being detained. https://scandasia.com/warning-against-traveling-to-thailand/

From Bangkok Post Push for bubbles amid tourism drive The Tourism and Sports Ministry plans to continue travel bubble discussions with short-haul destinations following this week's resumption of the Test & Go scheme. The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) is calling for a more relaxed RT-PCR testing regime to bring back at least 5 million tourists this year. The country wants to continue travel bubble initiatives, particularly with nearby countries that generate enormous cross-border traffic, such as Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia, said Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. The ministry plans to visit Beijing for the Winter Olympics this month and wants to use the opportunity to seek further updates from China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism regarding a travel agreement. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn said 35,046 tourists registered for Thailand Pass during its first day of reopening on Feb 1, of which 31,343 were for the Test & Go scheme. As hotels must now verify Thailand Pass bookings via the new Thailand Pass Hotel & Swap System, 20% of guests were verified as of Feb 1. Mr Yuthasak said hoteliers have to verify bookings within 30 hours or registration will be rejected and tourists must resubmit the application. Vichit Prakobgosol, TCT vice-president, said even though the tourism sector was improving, strict testing rules were an obstacle to growth as they deter tourists. He said locations that require no RT-PCR test on arrival, such as Dubai, the Maldives and Turkey, can now attract more arrivals than in 2019 before the pandemic and such reopening policies have not worsened their outbreaks. "If there is no new surge in cases and fatalities after the first month of Test & Go resumption, the government has to consider dropping the RT-PCR test requirement. If it does, the country is projected to see at least 5 million tourists," Mr Vichit said. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2257855/push-for-bubbles-amid-tourism-drive

From Bangkok Post Prompted by large numbers of tourists testing positive for Covid-19 upon arrival, Phuket on Wednesday switched to imposing a repeat RT-PCR Covid-19 test on international tourists arriving under the quarantine-free Test & Go scheme. Phuket has now issued a new order requiring all Test & Go tourists to undergo a repeat RT-PCR Covid-19 test on the fifth day of their stay in Thailand, in addition to the first test upon arrival, said provincial chief health officer Dr Koosak Kookiatkul on Wednesday. "This means Test & Go tourists coming to Phuket will have to pay for their two Covid-19 tests and book their hotel rooms on the first and fifth days in advance," Dr Koosak said. "In case they test negative for Covid-19 in the first test, they may undergo the second test and stay in a hotel while waiting for the test result of the repeat test," he added. The infection rate for the first test found in international tourists arriving in Phuket was 2%, while the result of a repeat test showed the infection rate had climbed as high as 4-5%, which were mostly cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, he said. On Tuesday, the first day Thailand resumed its Test & Go scheme, Phuket welcomed 17 Test & Go tourists and 2,439 others via its tourism sandbox programme, according to the province's immigration office. The province recorded 493 new Covid-19 infections, 387 of which were local cases, two in the Test & Go scheme and the other 104 were in the Phuket Sandbox programme, said Dr Koosak. The province was concerned that the high infection rate among visitors from Russia and Kazakhstan would badly hit the tourism industry, said Phuket governor Narong Woonciew. Of the about 300 new Covid-19 infections recorded daily, about 100 were foreign visitors arriving mainly from those two nations, he said. "Russian tourists account for a vast majority of international tourists arriving in Thailand through Phuket," the governor said. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2257883/phuket-ups-tests-on-foreign-visitors

From Richadbarrow.com According to a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, the total number of registrations for Thailand Pass on the first day of 1st February amounted to 29,194 people, with 23,660 people applying for Test & Go alone. ..................................... Hotels must verify the 1st and 2nd room & test bookings within 30 hours or the visitors' Thailand Pass registration will be automatically rejected, according to new procedures aiming at monitoring RT-PCR tests. --------------------- According to Facebook page B-Bangpakong, football giants Manchester United and Liverpool FC will play a friendly match at Rajamangala National Stadium on 12th July. They will sign the contract this week.

From Reuters Streets in some of Myanmar's main cities were nearly deserted on Tuesday as opponents of military rule held "silent strikes", making the first anniversary of a coup that sparked deadly chaos and snuffed out tentative steps towards democracy. The United States, Britain and Canada imposed new sanctions on the military and joined other countries in calling for a global halt in arms sales to Myanmar, a year after Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government was overthrown. Since its bloody suppression of protests in the weeks following the coup, the military has faced armed resistance on multiple fronts in the countryside from groups allied with the ousted government. On Tuesday, an explosion took placed during a procession of military supporters in the eastern border town of Tachileik, two witnesses told Reuters. The blast killed two people, said one of the witnesses, and wounded more than 30 others. The coup triggered a huge backlash, with strikes and protests that led to about 1,500 civilians being killed in crackdowns and more than 11,787 unlawfully held, according to United Nations human rights office figures on Tuesday. The U.N. human rights expert on Myanmar, Tom Andrews, on Tuesday said the junta was functioning like a criminal enterprise, harming its people and stealing their resources. "The international community must take strong, meaningful steps to cut the junta's access to weapons, funds and legitimacy," Andrews said. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/myanmar-activists-vow-defy-junta-with-strike-coup-anniversary-2022-02-01/

From Vietnam News HÀ NỘI — Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyễn Văn Hùng has just submitted a proposed plan to the Government for reopening international tourism in safe and effective manner. According to the plan, after the first pilot period for receiving international tourists, the second phase will last from now until March 30, 2022, with the number of eligible localities in the programme extended to all those who have completed coverage of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots and with contained outbreak (green zone, as per the health ministry’s outbreak assessment criteria). This is a huge step up from the currently five localities of Phú Quốc Island (Kiên Giang Province in the southern region), Quảng Nam, Đà Nẵng, and Khánh Hoà in the central region, and Quảng Ninh in the northern region, with HCM City and Bình Định soon to join the list. From March 31, 2022, Việt Nam will be fully open to international tourism, with inbound and outbound tourists welcomed at all international border gates. The tourists accepted into Việt Nam must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (with certificates) at least 14 days before entry, or have proof of recovery from COVID-19 within six months prior to entry. (There will be separate requirements for partially vaccinated or young children). They will also need a negative PCR-RT COVID-19 tests taken 72 hours prior to entry, and purchase health insurance with COVID-19 treatment coverage with minimum value of US$50,000. https://vietnamnews.vn/life-style/1141562/vietnamese-tourism-ministry-proposed-total-reopening-to-international-tourism-from-april.html

If they didn't know about it before they arrive, visitors to Phuket (domestic and international) soon learn about what many feel are the outrageously high fares charged by taxi drivers. Today's Thiager carries yet another account. --------------------- If you’ve been to Phuket, you’ve probably paid way too much for a taxi. Now, one Thai traveller claims a Phuket taxi driver ripped him off by charging a fare of 600 baht and even got the police involved to sort out the situation. He filmed confrontations with the police and taxi driver, posting the videos on Facebook and drawing criticism on the island’s notoriously high taxi fares. The traveller had tried to book a ride through the application Bolt to get back to his hotel, but he says the driver refused service because he was afraid of the taxi drivers in the area. He tried booking a Grab, but the same thing happened and the driver refused service. He and his girlfriend then decided to hail a taxi, but the driver charged them 600 baht… much higher than the 168 baht fare listed on Bolt. The 21-minute drive was around 12 kilometres from Cafe Del Mar in Kathu to a hotel near Patong Beach. In the video, the man who appears to be the driver yells that the fare is 600 baht. He added that he wasn’t scared of the police, daring the customers to call and saying he and the police are friends. After talking with the police, officers called the driver to the station. Reports say that the driver insisted that 600 baht was the standard price and that no one forced the traveller to use his service. Since it was late at night and the trip was quite far, the price at 600 baht was responsible, the driver reportedly claimed, adding that he would increase the price with more passengers. The traveller is the son well-known dentist who has a large following on TikTok, so his posts drew a lot of attention on social media. Some commented saying they’ve had similar situations in Phuket. Phuket officials reviewed taxi rates in July of last year after some tourists under the Sandbox, or the island’s pilot reopening programme, reported high prices. The Phuket Tourist Police Department then announced maximum taxi fares for rides from the Phuket International Airport and encouraged travellers to report rip-offs. For a roughly 20-kilometre ride from the airport to Surin Beach, a taxi driver can charge up to 550 baht. Read more about the maximum taxi fares HERE. https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/traveller-calls-police-over-high-fare-charged-by-phuket-taxi-driver

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has posted this information today: Kindly note that if you arrive during 00.01-18.00 Hrs., the day is Day 1. If you arrive during 18.01-00.00 Hrs., the day after is Day 1. You can find additional information and interpretation of regulations at Entry Thailand Frequently Asked Questions at the following link: https://www.tatnews.org/entry-thailand-frequently-asked-questions/

From Bangkok Post JAKARTA: Indonesia's holiday island of Bali will start welcoming back travellers from all countries from later this week, officials said on Monday, more than three months after announcing it was open to selected nationalities. Though Bali officially opened to visitors from China, New Zealand, and Japan among other countries in mid October, there has since been no direct flights, Tourism minister Sandiaga Uno told a briefing. Senior minister, Luhut Pandjaitan, said from Feb 4 international visitors who were vaccinated against Covid-19 would still be required to do between five and seven days of quarantine. https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2256459/indonesia-says-bali-to-reopen-to-foreign-travellers-again

Based on my observations of guys I've come know, the best predictor of stability and success outside of their pursuits in Bangkok is frugality. If they could live within their means--and avoid getting ensnared by lure of the illegal casino off Surawong road--they tended to survive the hardest economic impact of covid on their lives.

NOTE - Stickboy is not to be confused with Stickman who stopped posting in 2018. From The Thaiger / Coconuts Bangkok (Jan. 18) Popular “sexpat” blogger Stickboy leaves Thailand over dead nightlife, restrictions The popular redlight district blogger (and “sexpat”) Stickboy has left Thailand, apparently due to the lack of nightlife over the past two years. Stickboy, whose real name is Mike McKay, has been a long time expat in Thailand. He calls himself a “party animal with hollow legs” and is known for his posts of busty women mixed in with general information on Thailand… especially on the bar scene. On Mike’s Twitter bio, he said “Time for something new… South America maybe.” He says he’s left Thailand for good, and “no,” don’t worry, he hasn’t had a serious mental breakdown. Mike told Coconuts Bangkok said it was really the continued postponement of the reopening of bars and nightclubs that led to his decision to leave. Bars and nightclubs have been closed since April, but also faced closure orders early on in the pandemic. Bangkok’s booming nightlife districts have been dark and quiet. Nine months ago, Mike made a post on his website Stickboybkk.com with a photo of Soi Cowboy, a popular redlight district. All the bars were closed. The lights off. He wrote… Yes, there’s no denying it is a sad sight to see the Neon Alley looking like this but it will be back soon and the good times can roll again. With vaccine rollouts around the world picking up momentum and Thailand preparing for mass inoculations, there is light at the end of this Covid tunnel. Now, life has come back to Soi Cowboy and other nightlife districts. But it’s not the same. Healthcare workers in personal protective gear stand at the entrance of the street with rapid antigen kits to test partygoers on the spot. And bars in the capital must close by 9pm. He told Coconuts that with the restrictions and delays to fully reopen bars, he decided to “f**k it” and leave. https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/expats/popular-sexpat-blogger-stickboy-leaves-thailand-over-dead-nightlife-restrictions