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From NYTimes John Singer Sargent’s Drawings Bring His Model Out of the Shadows The best exhibitions tell strong human stories, ones that we might not otherwise know. Such is the case with “Boston’s Apollo: Thomas McKeller and John Singer Sargent” at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, a small show that’s built around a sensational painting, and that has an unreadable relationship at its heart. The Gardner is, of course, in lockdown these days, and there’s no telling when that will end. But its show is compelling enough to make an impact even at a distance, through online images, a stirring short video, and an excellent book, all of which I recommend. The lead characters of the tale are named in the title, though in an order of importance that might baffle some historians. Surely, they would think, Sargent (1856-1925) should have been listed first. The European-born American was one of the art luminaries of his day, a power-portraitist to the elite on both sides of the Atlantic (Isabella Stewart Gardner was a repeat sitter) who commanded top prices for his attentions. Thomas Eugene McKeller (1890-1962) was a bellhop and elevator attendant at Boston’s deluxe Hotel Vendome, where Sargent often stayed, and one of the many beautiful men he hired as studio models. Among them, McKeller may have been the only African-American. And he was possibly one of the few models of whom Sargent would come to say, in a letter to a friend,“ I don’t know what I shall do without him.” The two men met in 1916, most likely at the Vendome, when Sargent was visiting from his home in London. At 60, the cosmopolitan bachelor — born in Florence, art-trained in Paris — was in the process of making a career transition from portraiture to the more prestigious genre of architectural decoration. Boston had become the staging place for that change. In 1890, the Boston Public Library invited Sargent to contribute allegorical murals to its interior. Next came an important commission from the Museum of Fine Arts (the M.F.A.) for mural cycles for the rotunda and grand staircase of its new building. Finally, Harvard University asked him to contribute monumental paintings to its Widener Memorial Library, commemorating student lives lost in World War I. Sargent’s response was yes, yes, and yes. It was for the M.F.A. project that Sargent first hired McKeller, whom he likely spotted at the Vendome. Then 26, McKeller had been born in Wilmington, N.C., when the city had had a thriving majority African-American population. And he was there, still a child, in 1898 when an explosion of anti-black violence changed all that. There was every reason for him to leave town and he eventually did, making his way to Boston where, after hotel work and a stint in the Army, he took a long-term post-office position, married at 44, and permanently settled down. (There may have been an additional reason for his departure from home. In the exhibition video, McKeller’s great-niece, Deidre O’Bryant suggests that McKeller was suspected of being gay. “To be gay was taboo,” she says, “even within your own family.”) Continues with additional drawings and a video https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/arts/design/john-singer-sargent-drawings-gardner-museum.html

From Bangkok Post Shopping malls, gyms and amusement parks, considered high-density venues, are expected to reopen next if the number of new Covid-19 infections continues to drop for another week. The Public Health Emergency Operation Centre held a meeting with representatives of eight business clusters in the kingdom to discuss preparations for the next stage of easing the coronavirus lockdown. The meeting was also attended by relevant agencies such as the Interior Ministry, the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the Public Health Ministry, City Hall and local governing bodies. It resulted in a nod for the reopening of shopping malls, restaurants and food shops in shopping malls, health and wellness businesses including spas and massage parlours, beauty salons, fitness centres and gymnasiums, meeting and seminar convention venues, film production locations, amusement parks and water parks. However, the number of new cases in the kingdom must stay low for another week before the businesses can reopen.

File under the more things change, the more they stay the same or TIT (your choice) Extracted from Bangkok Post In other news, the government has put on hold a proposal to remove China and South Korea from a list of "dangerous communicable disease zones", pending the decision of a panel of health experts. The proposal was made by Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul at a CCSA meeting on Thursday. CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin allayed concerns that the proposed removal would lead to an influx of Chinese and South Koreans who might bring the disease with them and spark a new infection wave. "Our measures remain the same. Inbound commercial flights are still banned," Dr Taweesilp said. "Visitors must have fit-to-fly health certificates. If they visit now, they must be quarantined at a state facility for 14 days." "Tourists would not enjoy visiting while these measures are in place," he added. Mr Anutin yesterday said he proposed to remove China and South Korea from the list because the two countries have managed to control the virus situation at home. He said the proposal was also made to boost diplomatic ties with China and South Korea, adding there would also be mutual support in terms of medical supplies distribution. Mr Anutin said the CCSA had agreed to remove them from the list in principle, but the panel of health experts will still review the proposal. "There are many layers of protection," he said. "Please do not worry about the matter."

Let's hope the good secretary is a better manager of finances than he is of flight schedules. For travel this Sunday, seats are available on flights out of Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco for Tokyo and Seoul.

From Coconuts Bangkok Only 250 passengers per train To keep people at arm’s length or more aboard the BTS Skytrain, transportation authorities today ordered train capacity cut by three-quarters. After Tuesday morning’s breakdown created worrying scenes of packed platforms and bogies that drew criticism from commuters unable to practice social distancing, the Transport Ministry today said only 250 rather than 1,000 passengers would be allowed to board each train of four cars. “Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we must practice social distancing, therefore we cannot pack all 1,000 people into a single train,” Chaiwat Tongkamkoon, permanent transport secretary, said Friday. Passengers must stay 1 meter apart to help decrease the risk of COVID-19 infection. Chaiwat said the BTS operator has increased frequency of train arrivals to accommodate commuters during rush hours, with the Sukhumvit Line running trains every 2.4 minutes and the Silom Line roughly every 3.5 minutes. Currently the BTS Skytrain operates 98 trains, each of which has four cars, making for 392 cars in total. Chaiwat did not elaborate on how the measures would be enforced, nor did he discuss how platforms would be kept safe if the reduced capacity led to longer waits.

From Bangkok Post hailand’s CP Group will oversee the Cambodian debut of 7-Eleven convenience stores next year under a master franchise agreement with 7-Eleven Inc, the US subsidiary of 7-Eleven Japan Co. CP All Plc, the conglomerate’s SET-listed retail arm, has concluded a deal with the US firm to operate 7-Eleven stores through CP All (Cambodia) Co beginning in 2021. The first outlet will open in Phnom Penh, a spokeswoman for the Japanese retail group Seven & I Holdings Co said. Stores in Cambodia will offer products such as beverages and snacks found around the world as well as locally suited, ready-to-eat fresh food items. The Japanese retail group also plans to advance into the Indian market within this year, the spokeswoman added.

From Bangkok Post Govt mulls easing more curbs Shopping malls and large retail outlets selling construction materials will be allowed to reopen as lockdown mea­sures are eased further on May 17 if there is no surge in new infections. China and South Korea will also be the first countries to be removed from a list of the government's dangerous communicable disease zones. The issues were discussed at a meeting of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, the CCSA spokesman, said the centre will gather opinions about the next round of disease control relaxation from today until next Tuesday and draft the relaxation measures next Thursday. "The next stage of relaxation will begin on May 17 unless the number of new Covid-19 cases soars," he said. "If the situation is brought under control, shopping malls will be allowed to reopen. If each business can maintain [strict social distancing] measures, malls and other businesses can also resume operations. However, this also depends on cooperation from the people," Dr Taweesilp said. Sukhum Karnchanapimai, permanent secretary for public health, said large retail outlets selling construction materials and furniture may also be allowed to reopen in the next stage because buildings and houses in several provinces have been destroyed and damaged by natural disasters and their owners badly need to buy new materials. Moreover, the CCSA agreed with a proposal by Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul that countries where the Covid-19 crisis has eased can be removed from the government's list of dangerous communicable disease zones. Mr Anutin told the meeting the proposed de-listing will help normalise Thailand's relations with them. However, it was also agreed that the de-listing process must be gradual and that people from those de-listed countries will not be allowed to enter Thailand straight away. Meanwhile, the CCSA on Thursday reported three new coronavirus cases, all Thais, bringing the total in Thailand to 2,992. No additional deaths were reported, leaving the accumulated toll at 55. ======================================================================================== From Coconuts Bangkok Chatuchak Market reopens this weekend After being closed over a month, the popular weekend destination Chatuchak Market will resume operations Saturday Wanlaya Wattanarat of City Hall said yesterday that the outdoor flea market would be allowed to reopen this weekend, with some mandatory restrictions including limited opening hours and social-distancing measures due to the coronavirus outbreak. All shoppers and vendors must wear face masks while distance must be maintained between each person. Hand sanitizer will be installed at several spots in the sprawling complex. People are encouraged to order food for takeaway. Restaurants or stalls wishing to seat diners must provide seats at least 1.5 meters apart from each other. Despite the measures announced, it is difficult to imagine any meaningful enforcement at the sprawling marketplace which on a typical day teems with shoppers squeezing past each other in narrow lanes. Operating hours will limited to 5am to 6pm, as a national overnight curfew remains in place, Wanlaya said.

From The Nation Air force provides anti-covid barriers for use in taxis The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has designed and presented special barriers to five taxi fleets in Bangkok for use in preventing the spread of the coronavirus disease between the driver and passengers in the backseat. The RTAF made the initial barriers, which can be easily installed and removed without the need for modications to the vehicle. The barriers are intended to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease virus and boost the confidence of both passengers and drivers. A team of aeronautical engineers prepared the blueprint and have given it to the taxi fleet operators, so they can have more of them made themselves. They were based on aircraft bulkhead barriers. The air force engineers used the Toyota Altis 2017-2018 model, which is common intaxi fleets, as their standard for the barriers. They are made from sheets of polycarbonate, which is transparent and durable. Each includes six ventilating fans with a high efficiency particulate air filter. They include a special opening where passengers can pass through the fare. The materials for making the barriers are readily available. The air force puts the cost at around 2,700 baht each.

Pattaya blocks all access to beaches to avoid second wave In a move to prevent a second wave of infections, Pattaya City has decided to block all access to beaches despite the easing of restrictions. Jeerawat Sukontasub, chief of the Pattaya Municipality, said municipal authorities and local agencies have blocked nine beach entrances, including the two leading to the 2-kilometre-long Pattaya Beach. Access to Jomtien, Phra Tamnak, Cozy, Wong Amat and Krating Rai beaches as well as Lan Pho Nakluea Park and the Bali Hai Pier has been blocked. The areas will be strictly closed off from May 9 to 31 from 9am to 9pm daily and officers will be on standby to keep an eye. Violators will be let off with a warning the first time, but repeat offenders will face a heavy penalty.

From CNBC Airbnb hosts are building their own direct booking websites in revolt Short-term rental hosts are banding together and launching their own direct-booking websites in an effort to diversify their business after years of mounting frustration with Airbnb and other short-term rental providers. Some of these websites were already in the works. But many hosts have recently prioritized their own direct-booking websites after a turbulent past two months, as the coronavirus pandemic spurred widespread cancellations and many grew unhappy with Airbnb’s reimbursement policies. Although these independent websites lack the consumer base that comes with a large service such as Airbnb, they give hosts more power when it comes to how they brand and market their properties. Direct-booking websites also offer hosts an avenue where they can rent their properties to guests at a cheaper price while generating a higher profit than they can when a middleman such as Airbnb is involved. Additionally, they offer hosts more control over situations where guests request refunds, cause damage or complain about a property, according to numerous short-term rental hosts who spoke with CNBC. Competition from these new direct-booking websites represents the latest challenge for Airbnb, which has endured a tough 2020. The company had lined up bankers to lead a public offering, which would test whether Airbnb could live up to its $31 billion private market valuation from 2017. But as the coronavirus decimated travel around the world, the company instead raised $2 billion in new debt funding at a valuation of $18 billion and announced major cost-cutting initiatives, including plans to lay off 25% of its staff, or nearly 1,900 employees.

From Coconuts Bangkok Gone is its nauseating traffic, and empty are its malls. Rows of fashionable bars lie shuttered, there’s a hush over normally chaotic Chinatown, and the monitor lizards and ravens have Lumphini Park all to themselves. Digital billboards carry on like nothing is amiss in contrast to the ghostly CentralWorld mall behind them. Along mall row, in front of Siam Paragon, taxis queue for no one and nearly empty buses parade by on schedule. But one place that seems to defy all that, or any sense of crisis, is the capital’s Khlong Toei Market. Continues with video in English narration https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/life-goes-on-at-bangkoks-largest-fresh-market-despite-shutdown-video/ ========================================================================================================================== From The Nation and Bangkok Post Proposed plan to revive THAI approved by state enterprise body Thai Airways International (THAI) will borrow money to survive the coronavirus crisis, and will remain a state enterprise, the Finance Ministry announced on Wednesday. The State Enterprise Policy Committee (SEPC) has resolved to revive the operations of Thai Airways International (THAI) in line with the proposals put forward by the Transport and Finance ministries, said Prapas Kong-led, director of the State Enterprise Policy Office. “The newly appointed committee held its first meeting today [April 29] chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha,” he said. “The committee is responsible for ensuring transparency and good governance among state enterprises.” At its meeting, the panel approved two points on the agenda, namely: 1. Appointing two sub-committees that are responsible for SEPC’s urgent missions: 1.1 State Enterprise Development Planning Subcommittee, chaired by former PTT CEO Thewin Wongwanich; 1.2 State Enterprise Evaluation Subcommittee, chaired by the Finance Ministry’s permanent secretary. An informed source said the meeting also agreed that professionals should be brought in to manage the struggling airline.

The music was great. It was the testimonials, however, of two of my favorite Broadway actors, Nathan Lane and Jason Alexander, who told us stuff we really didn’t know before about the man. It also reminded me what I missed about the city. In the brief lead-in to the performance, the audience hears what was once typical street sounds from the theater district (traffic, horns). I realized immediately that that was also what I missed. This somehow got me to thinking what I’m truly missing about Bangkok, and Silom in particular: that cacophony of the street. Hawkers, waiters, barmen, vendors, masseurs all angling for my attention. A stream of faces comes to mind that I can recall clearly. But the individual voices I find increasingly difficult to recapture with the same precision. And I fear losing them. To me, Bangkok would always be there. For 18 years it was just a matter of going. Now that that has changed, I’m more aware than ever of what I had come to take for granted.

From South China Morning Post Hong Kong will ease quarantine restrictions on travellers from mainland China, providing exemptions for school pupils crossing the border daily and any arrivals from the north deemed economically important, the city’s health chief says. However, details of the policy were still being ironed out, officials said. The decision was made as the city recorded no new coronavirus cases for a third day in a row on Tuesday. It was the fifth time in nine days there were no new infections, with the total number of cases still at 1,037. Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee told a press conference that measures were being relaxed because the city government was satisfied the Covid-19 crisis on the mainland was largely under control. Apart from cross-border students and related personnel, the other exempted group would be businesspeople, including those who had “manufacturing operations or business activities or provided professional services, and their travelling is considered to be in the interests of Hong Kong’s economic development”, Chan said. Despite those adjustments, Chan also announced the extension of immigration restrictions on general visitors by one month to June 7, and the requirement for arrivals to report their health and travel history would be extended to August 31.

From Bangkok Post The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration plans to reopen restaurants, markets, exercise venues, parks, hairdressers, clinics, animal hospitals and grooming parlours, golf courses and driving ranges. Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang said on Tuesday the city's current lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19 was set to expire at midnight on Thursday. The BMA had informed the government of its plan to reopen venues in eight categories, with strict conditions to ensure disease control. The communicable disease committee would make a decision on Wednesday. He did not specify a reopening date, but officials expected it would be Friday. He said restaurants would have to seat customers 1.5 metres apart, comply with opening hours as restricted by the emergency decree, and not sell alcoholic beverages. Markets and flea markets would be allowed to sell their usual goods. Sports and exercise facilities would be opened for activities that do not require people to gather closely - such as walking, running, badminton, tennis and table tennis. Sports that require teams, or players in close contact, would continue to be suspended. They included football, softball, volleyball and basketball, and also fitness classes. Parks would reopen, but visitors would be prohibited from forming groups. Barbers and hairdressers could provide only hair washing, cutting and drying, and must stop for cleaning every two hours. Customers would not be allowed to wait at the shops, and would have to make appointments. Staff would be required to wear face masks and face shields. Pet grooming shops and pet hospitals would reopen, but a customer could bring only one pet at a time. The premises would have to close for cleaning every two hours. Health clinics would reopen, but beauty clinics would remain closed. Golf courses and driving ranges would reopen. Before entering such places, customers must have their body temperature checked, wear a face mask, clean their hands with soap or alcohol, and stay 1.5-2 metres apart from each other, the Bangkok governor said. Mr Aswin said he would wait for the government's decision on whether to lift the ban on sales of alcoholic beverages.

All but 14 of 799 new cases are migrant workers From Channel News Asia SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 799 new COVID-19 cases as of 12pm on Monday (Apr 27), taking the national tally to 14,423. The vast majority of the new cases are work permit holders residing in foreign worker dormitories, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in its preliminary release of figures. Fourteen cases are Singaporeans or permanent residents. Singapore is now in a "circuit breaker" period to stem the spread of COVID-19. The circuit breaker was scheduled to end on May 4 but has been extended until Jun 1.

From Khaosod English Bars, Cinemas, Salons, and Sport Stadiums Among Last to Reopen BANGKOK — The government is expected to reopen businesses at a different pace depending on the level of coronavirus risks associated with the venues, according to a proposal submitted by the pandemic taskforce. In the proposal by the Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration, businesses are categorized into white, green, yellow, and red codes. White code implies no danger associated with the venues, while red is the last to reopen. The red-code businesses include pubs, internet cafes, karaoke bars, theatres, movie houses, and trade exhibitions. Parties with gatherings of a large number of people, tutorial school, sports stadiums, and air-conditioned sports venues are also included. The center said people tend to spend a lot of time with little physical distance in these closed spaces, and some of them tend to attract multiple from different areas, which could pose an infection risk. The center’s guideline cited Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, a known cluster of infections, as a proven evidence that such a place is too risky to reopen. On the opposite pole of the classification is code white. This category includes vendors and open-aired stalls. Operators need not register to reopen the businesses as they are exempted due to low risks involved. Code green is low-risk businesses. They must register online and abide by the government guidelines before reopening their businesses. The group includes small air-conditioned shops such as bookshops, clothing stores, general goods stores, and construction material shops. Public parks and opened-air sports fields such as tennis courts are also included. Yellow-code businesses are those classified as moderately risky. Operators of these businesses must not only apply online before reopening their businesses but require an approval by the government first. They include flea markets, fresh markets, shopping malls, food courts, beauty and hair salons, and medical and dental clinics. Some sports facilities such as swimming pools and badminton courts are also listed in this category. The center added that the classification can be altered if the pandemic situation changes in the coming days. ====================================================================================== NOTE -- The Pattaya News has published an article that attempts to clarify the reported extension of the national government's lock down period through May 31. Readers are advised that the situation is subject to day-to-day changes. Local governors appears to have greater latitude in determining when and how individual businesses and facilities can reopen. Extracted from Pattaya News Many businesses allowed to gradually re-open The announcement has caused confusion among some who believe that the Emergency Decree means that nearly all businesses will have to remain closed and all current strict restrictions, such as public parks and beaches closed, will not be lifted for another month. This is not true. The Decree primarily allows for the Thai Government and the CCSA to easily control and manage the overall situation in the country and help stop the spread or a second potential wave of the Covid-19 Coronavirus. Restrictions in place can, and have, been eased and strengthened on a daily basis as the order allows for fluidity based on the overall situation. In addition, many orders and restrictions have the ability to be adjusted or lifted based on the decisions of the local Governor. Without this order, these restrictions can not be applied (or removed) easily on a National level. Provincial Governors also have significant leeway in making decisions about openings for their districts and areas, as much of easing local business measures are, as stated above, guidelines and not hard rules. In Chonburi, for instance, where Pattaya is based, salons (Which are a red item on the National chart for opening) have been opened for weeks with no problems or reported issues based on the Governor’s discretion. Additionally, electronic stores, also closed in nearly every other province in the country except Nan, have been open for several weeks in Chonburi. The success of opening salons in Chonburi helped implement guidelines on a national level. It is highly possible that other “red businesses” will be given a trial run in Chonburi as well. Orders such as beach and park closures, alcohol sales restrictions, etc. will be based on the decision of the Governor, which is expected this week in Chonburi.

From Bangkok Post Incoming flights ban extended to May 31 The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) on Monday decided to extend the ban on all incoming flights for another month, on continuing worries about the coronavirus pandemic. The aviation regulator announced the extension ahead of the scheduled expiry date, April 30, on the grounds that the situation was worsening. The ban was also in support of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration's battle to control the pandemic outbreak in Thailand, it said. The announcement did not explain why CAAT believes the situation is getting worse, with many countries now looking to relax some restrictions. Thailand reported nine new cases and one more death on Monday, when it was also announced the government was extending the Emergency Decree for one more month, to May 31. The flight ban, also extended to May 31, exempts state and military aircraft, ands aircraft making an emergency landing or a technical landing without disembarkation. It also spares humanitarian aid, medical and relief flights as well as repatriation and cargo flights.

From Bangkok Post SIA extends most flight suspensions to June 30 SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) has said it will cancel most of its flights until the end of June. The announcement comes just four days after it said it would extend its near-shutdown until the end of May. About 96% of scheduled flights will be cancelled, and the airline will fly only to 15 cities in that period, it said in a statement on its website. They include six Southeast Asian cities, Tokyo, London and Los Angeles. Out of SIA Group’s fleet of approximately 200 aircraft, only about 10 are now in operation to serve a limited passenger network. Singapore confirmed an additional 618 coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the city-state’s total to more than 12,600. A majority of the cases have occurred in dormitories that house foreign labourers. =================================================================================================== Thailand logs 53 new cases The government on Saturday reported one Covid-19 death and 53 new infections — 42 of them migrant workers in Songkhla — bringing the total to 2,907 and fatalities to 51. The death was a 48-year-old Thai man who had been in contact with a previously reported case. His brother worked at an entertainment place and was infected, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said on Saturday. The 53 new cases were the most reported in a single day since April 9. Forty-two of them were migrants who had been detained at the immigration centre in Songkhla for illegal entry. They were from Myanmar (34), Vietnam (3), Malaysia (2), Yemen (1), Cambodia (1) and India (1). The infections were discovered during active case finding.

From South China Morning Post Beijing could face Asean’s wrath over ‘naming and claiming’ of South China Sea features China’s naming of, and effectively claiming, 80 geographical features in the disputed South China Sea might be a breach of international law, and could trigger a backlash from its Southeast Asian neighbours, analysts have warned. Over the weekend, Beijing gave names to 25 islands, shoals and reefs, and 55 undersea mountains and ridges. The last time it made such a move was in 1983, when it identified 287 features in the region where several nations hold competing territorial claims. While it is perfectly acceptable for countries and marine scientists to give names to geographical features, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea states that nations cannot claim sovereignty over an underwater feature unless it is within 12 nautical miles of a land feature. The 80 topographical formations identified by Beijing over the weekend comprised 10 sandbars and two small reefs in the Paracel Island chain that were previously unnamed, 13 smaller reefs, described as “features”, around West Reef, which is currently occupied by Vietnam, and 55 underwater features spread across theSouth China Sea. Despite the rival views of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and others, Beijing has repeatedly asserted its claim to about 90 per cent of the sea, which is one of the world’s busiest trade routes and has huge geopolitical significance. Over the past six years, it has sought to bolster that claim by creating several artificial islands and developing infrastructure for possible military use, much to the consternation of the international community.

From CNN The wild story behind Lonely Planet's first Thailand guidebook By Joe Cummings Editor's Note — Joe Cummings created the very first Lonely Planet Thailand guide, which was published in the early 1980s. As the famous travel brand begins shuttering its offices, Cummings reflects on his decades-spanning career as a guidebook writer. (CNN) — The recent news that Lonely Planet Publications was shutting down its production offices in Melbourne and London almost entirely, and totally eliminating its widely admired magazine and all non-guidebook titles, didn't take me completely by surprise. With planes grounded, borders closed and people staying home all over the world in response to the Covid-19 health crisis, any business associated with travel and tourism is on its knees at this point. Still, having been a Lonely Planet guidebook author for 25 years, I feel it. I watched the company grow from a fledgling two-person start-up in the 1970s to an empire with more than 500 office staff on four continents. In the 1990s, when I was visiting LP's headquarters in Melbourne two or three times a year, a steady climb in sales and production forced the company to shift to a larger location three times. Thus for me, and I'm sure for many others who grew up hopping the globe with dog-eared guidebooks close at hand, the closure of Lonely Planet's original headquarters signals the end of an era. In my life, that era kicked off when I first read "Southeast Asia on a Shoestring" while on my way to work in Thailand as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1977. Nicknamed "the yellow bible" by its legion of devotees, the rustic guide was written by the UK's Tony Wheeler, who together with his Irish wife Maureen, created their DIY imprint four years earlier after finishing an overland journey from London across Asia to Australia. Their stapled-together "Across Asia on the Cheap," complete with hand-drawn maps, sold 1,500 copies on street corners down under. Each chapter was devoted to a different country in Southeast Asia, and although the info was skimpy, and the maps barely usable, I was nevertheless impressed that someone had actually done it. Born to a traveling military family who lived in Europe, I was used to the "F" guides -- Fodor's, Fielding and Frommer's -- which for the most part stuck to well-trod itineraries in Europe, North America and Japan. Established during the early post-WWII era, these guides were geared towards people like my parents, who carried bulky suitcases and traveled by private car. Writing about how to travel in developing countries via local bus and train, Lonely Planet was very underground by comparison, for the time. When I finished my assignment in Thailand and was preparing to travel home by way of India and Nepal, I checked Bangkok bookshops to see if Lonely Planet had published anything more on these countries other than brief chapters in their out-of-print "Across Asia on the Cheap." There was nothing available on either place yet, but while browsing the shelves, I discovered just-released Lonely Planet titles on Myanmar and Sri Lanka. I bought both, and read them cover-to-cover while traveling through the subcontinent (I didn't actually visit either country till later, as a Lonely Planet author on assignment). Avoiding culturally insulated travel Back in the States, I started writing for The Asia Record, a San Francisco-area newspaper dedicated to Southeast Asian affairs in the wake of the US-Vietnam War and fall of Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. I also enrolled in a master's program at the University of California at Berkeley, where I wrote a thesis on tourism as seen through the eyes of communist insurgencies in Thailand and Malaysia. One day in late 1980, I sat down, fed a blue aerogram into my electric typewriter, wrote out a proposal for a "Lonely Planet Thailand" guide, and mailed it directly to Tony Wheeler. Within a few weeks, Tony wrote back and said that coincidentally he was looking for someone to do a guide on Thailand, and since LP was expanding, he didn't have time to do one himself. At his request, I sent him a writing sample that followed the Sri Lanka guide template and focused on Ko Sichang, an island off the coast of Sri Racha that I'd visited several times while living in Bangkok in the late '70s. As far as I knew, no one had ever published anything about the island in English before. Tony's second response came quickly, offering $9,000 to create the first edition of Thailand -- a travel survival kit. I had to pay my own air fare and expenses, but as it turned out I simultaneously received a paid fellowship from Berkeley to carry out field studies, so I rolled the two projects into one trip during the spring of 1981. I hit the ground running. It was an exciting moment for me, since the book I was researching would become the first English-language guide devoted entirely to Thailand since "Guide to Bangkok with Notes on Siam," published by the State Railway of Siam in 1928. Although there were a couple of French and German guides, they were very much geared towards hiring your own car and driver and staying in first-class hotels along the way, much like Fodor's and other mainstream guides. Continues at https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/joe-cummings-lonely-planet-thailand/index.html

Flying in Covid19 airspace -- Articles in various Thai media begin to provide insight into what flying will be like, domestically at least. According to one report, no international carriers have expressed interest in resuming flight to date. From The Nation Domestic flights resume May with strict conditions If provinces where tourist destinations are located start lifting their restrictions next month, then airlines will be allowed to resume domestic flight services but only under strict conditions. So far, Air Asia is the only airline that has indicated it will resume flights on May 1, while Lion Air has said it will wait for the government’s decision on whether or not to extend the state of emergency. Some government officials have signalled that a few restrictions may be eased though the state of emergency may be extended beyond April 30. ====================================================================================================== From Khaosod English Domestic Flight Fares May Increase By 80% BANGKOK — As domestic commercial flights are set to resume in May, ticket prices could nearly double following the Thai Civil Aviation Authority’s new regulations for fare calculations. Chula Sukmanop, director of the aviation regulator, said domestic airlines will be allowed to charge up almost twice the fare implemented prior to the coronavirus pandemic, since many seats will be left empty to ensure physical distancing. Prior to the outbreak, domestic low-cost airlines usually charged no more than 5 baht per kilometer for a flight within the kingdom. But the new regulation will permit them to charge up to 9.40, approximately an 80 percent increase.

From The Nation Flights back to normal by Oct 2021, says AOT Airports of Thailand (AOT) expects the volume of flights to return to normal by October 2021, AOT president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn announced on Thursday (April 23). AOT’s management team forecasts that in fiscal year 2020 (October 2019 to September 2020) Thai airports will see about 493,800 flights and about 66.58 million passengers. “Total flights and passengers will drop by 44.9 per cent and 53.1 per cent, respectively, due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” Nitinai said. “The forecast was made by considering that recovery of the aviation business is dependent on the recovery of destination countries. Meanwhile, Thailand’s important destination countries are countries in the Asia-Pacific region which account for over 80 per cent of our travel.” He expects domestic flights to recover before international services, since the latter are dependent on countries’ moves to contain the spread of Covid-19 and how long it takes to develop antiviral drugs or vaccines. “If the Covid-19 situation is brought under control in countries worldwide, the economy in Thailand and other major countries will recover, while traffic volume will return to normal in October 2021,” he said. ========================================================================================================== From The Thaiger Thailand names 5 more ASEAN countries as ‘high risk’, 4 are border nations A Ministry of Public Health announcement yesterday, signed by Deputy PM and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and published in the Royal Gazette, claims the Covid-19 situation in 5 nearby countries is escalating. Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia and Myanmar have now been added to the list of countries and territories considered as high risk areas for infection. On March 6, Thailand had named four countries: China (including Hong Kong and Macau), South Korea, Italy and Iran, as being high risk areas for Covid-19 infection, though Hong Kong and South Korea have contained their outbreaks admirably. Somehow the recent surge in cases in Singapore, which has doubled its number of active cases in just six days, escaped the Minister’s attention. The island state now has 10,141 cases making it the highest number of cases in South east Asia. The announcement makes the re-opening of borders with the neighbouring countries for trade and travel unlikely in the short-term. It would also make a resumption of flights to and from these countries unlikely to begin again soon.

From Bangkok Post Jobless queue for food in Bangkok Bangkok saw long lines of unemployed people waiting for free food as the pandemic destroys the economy and the government struggles to respond. Some 27 million workers -- who lost their jobs in the tourism, entertainment, food and service sectors -- have applied for a monthly cash handout from the government, though only half have received approval. Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha has also issued conflicting information on how long the government can afford to give people 5,000 baht a month. Volunteers and charity groups have been collecting and distributing food around the city. "The government hasn't helped me with anything," said Chare Kunwong, a 46-year-old masseur. He stood in line alongside hundreds on Wednesday in Bangkok, waiting to receive food donations of rice, noodles, milk and curry packets. "If I wait for the government's aid then I'll be dead first," he told AFP. An hour north of Bangkok in Pathum Thani province, a growing number of locals are fishing in a canal in the hopes of easing food shortages, Thai media reported. Angry scenes have erupted at the finance ministry in recent days, as protesters demanded answers on being shut out of the government's cash handout scheme. Thailand's export- and tourism-reliant economy is forecast to see a contraction of 6.7% this year, its lowest GDP figures since 1998.

From Reuters Vietnam to Ease Nationwide Coronavirus Lockdown HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam, which has reported under 300 cases of coronavirus and no deaths since the first infections were detected in January, said on Wednesday it would start lifting tough movement restrictions as most of Southeast Asia remained in lockdown. No provinces in Vietnam were now seen as "highly prone" to the pandemic, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said in a statement, although some non-essential businesses will remain closed. Vietnam has won plaudits for appearing to contain the virus despite being less wealthy than other places seen as relatively successful such as South Korea and Taiwan. It has reported no new infections for nearly a week. It has used a combination of the mass quarantine of tens of thousands, contact-tracing and testing to successfully contain relatively small clusters of COVID-19 outbreaks. Hanoi may have also gleaned crucial early information from China. On Wednesday, U.S. cybersecurity firm FireEye said Vietnamese state-backed hackers had attempted to break into organisations at the centre of Beijing's efforts to contain the outbreak, days before the first international COVID-19 cases were reported. It also took other early measures. One day after the first two cases were detected in Vietnam, Hanoi suspended flights to China's Wuhan, where the outbreak started. Days later, Vietnam closed its porous 1,400-km (870-mile) border with China to all but essential trade and travel and, by March, made the wearing of masks in public places mandatory nationwide. Vietnam, which in 2003 became the first country outside China to be infected by the SARS epidemic, also has by far the largest ratio of testing to confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world. According to data published by Vietnam's health ministry on Wednesday, Vietnam has carried out 180,067 tests and detected just 268 cases, 83% of whom it says have recovered. There The figures are equivalent to nearly 672 tests for every one detected case, according to the Our World in Data website. The next highest, Taiwan, has conducted 132.1 tests for every case, the data showed. Communist-ruled and traditionally secretive Vietnam has made much of its data public. REGIONAL MEASURES Movement restrictions remain across most of Southeast Asia, where the virus has killed more than 1,200 people and infected more than 33,000. Singapore, which initially managed to contain the outbreak but has been hit by a swell in cases in migrant worker dormitories, has extended a partial lockdown by four weeks until June 1. In Thailand, where a state of emergency is due to expire at the end of April, the health ministry has proposed that lockdown measures be lifted in provinces where no coronavirus cases have been reported for two weeks. Malaysia has not yet decided whether to extend or lift social distancing measures, but a senior minister said on Wednesday that the government would explore the idea of allowing people who had left urban areas to return. In Indonesia, which with 653 deaths has reported the highest number in the region, the capital Jakarta said it would extend social distancing measures to May 22. Not all of Vietnam will have social distancing measures lifted, state media said. A town of 7,600 people in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang was locked down near the border with China after one case was detected there this month.

From Khaosod English Gov’t Extends Foreigners’ Stay to July 31, Halts 90-Day Report BANGKOK — The government on Tuesday approved another round of automatic visa extension for foreigners residing in Thailand, this time for a further three months. Government spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat said the Cabinet agreed with the plan proposed by the Immigration Bureau to permit foreigners whose visas had expired since March 26 to stay further until July 31 without having to apply for an extension at immigration offices. “The outbreak of COVID-19 in Thailand and other countries remains unresolved,” Naruemon said. “If we don’t extend permission to stay, foreigners would have to come to see immigration officers. It would cause overcrowding and risk of infection.” Naruemon said the 90-day report requirement is also suspended. The government granted a similar extension earlier this month, allowing stranded foreigners to stay without legal repercussions until April 30. The move came after widespread complaints of overcrowding and risk of coronavirus infection at immigration offices across the country.