Headlines summary as of 30 August 2021

News

• The latest ease of lockdown measures by CCSA effective from 1 September has been gazetted as followed–CCSA

• Bangkok Metropolitan Administration issued its announcement on temporary closure of premises. Unlike the highly expected vaccination requirements before using the dine-in services, the BMA order did not mention the need to get fully vaccinate.—BMA Data Centre
• Thai aviation authority will allow some domestic flights to and from Dark Red areas from 1 September. Domestic fights can fly at up to 75% capacity and passengers will have to follow travel conditions at destinations such as presenting proof of full vaccinations and/or COVID-19 testing results.—CCAT order and Reuters
• The Thai Cabinet has just approved 4.7 billion THB to procure 10 more million doses of Pfizer vaccines. In total, the Kingdom has announced to secure 30 million doses.—Khao Sod
• South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong during his visit to Thailand from August 26 to 28 said that South Korea could provide vaccines to Thailand at the end of September, after fully vaccinating 70 per cent of its population.—Nation Thailand
• The government spokesperson said that the country is aiming to get 140 million doses vaccines and that the government is going to order more vaccines from the EU: 8 million doses of Astra Zeneca (2 million doses monthly from September to December) and 2.5 to 3 million doses monthly from September to December.—Prachachat Turakij

• More Sinopharm vaccines:
  • On 28 August, the Chinese Red Cross Society has donated 100,000 Sinopharm vaccines to Thai Red Cross Society in a bid to curb the spread of the pandemic.—NBT
  • On Sunday, the Secretary-general of the Chulabhorn Royal Academy posted on his social media that another 2 million doses of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine have been delivered to Thailand. The royal institution aims to procure 10 million doses of Sinopharm vaccines by the end of August, of which 9 million doses have been delivered so far. It is reported that of 10 million doses, 3.59 million doses were allocated to corporations, 5.21 million doses to local administration offices, 414,958 doses to general public and 768,216 doses were donations.—Nation Thailand

• Over the weekend, there were two polls regarding the government covid administration:
  • Suan Dusit Poll study found out that the majority of Thai citizens want the government to tackle the Covid-19 crisis more effectively. The survey asked top five demands Thai people want in the Covid-era: 84.12 per cent want effective Covid-19 vaccines and all Thais to be vaccinated; 50.47 per cent said equality in receiving treatment for Covid-19; 43.24 per cent want frontline medical staff to be prioritised; 38.51 per cent want the economy to recover; 34.12 per cent seek medicines, protection equipment and Covid-19 test kits to be provided to people.—Suan Dusit Poll and Nation Thailand
  • Nida Poll made a study on the effectiveness of lockdown and found that majority of the people 26.14 percent wishes the lockdown to be extended and for the authority to impose stricter measures. Almost 65 percent of people views towards the effectiveness of the lockdown as not so effective to not effective at all. Only 6 percent of the survey taker said, however, that the lockdown is effective.—Nida Poll

Politics

• The government is under pressure on two fronts:
  • Six ministers, including the PM, will be on grill from 31 August to 3 September and the vote will be casted on 4 September.
    • The main ruling Palang Pracharat Party (PPRP) is going to hold its party meeting today to agree on the party stance in the upcoming censure debate. It is reported, however, that some key figures in the PPRP got an audience with the Deputy PM and PPRP leader Prawit apparently to discuss on the debate.–Matichon
    • The highlight of the debate has been on how many votes Labour Minister Suchart will get as there has been intra-PPRP conflicts (more details in the analysis/opinion below).
  • There are also movements from the opposition in the extra-parliamentary actors schedule alongside the debate:
    • 31 AUG Ousted and self-exiled former PM Thaksin Shinawatra will hold a Club House session on 31 August to grill the PM and the other ministers. Thaksin also said that he is going to announce a significant political strategy.–Matichon
    • 2 SEP The ‘Car Mob’ organisers led by former Red Shirt protestors are going to hold its escalated gathering at CBD Asoke intersection from 4.00 to 8.00pm. The organisers said they will return to Bangkok CBD for gathering everyday until 4 September where the vote is casted.—Krungthep Turakij
    • 3 SEP The United Front for Thammasat and Demonstration protest group is going to hold their protest on 3 September. The Group is yet to announce its gathering location.—Naew Na

• In parallel with the censure debate, the  Army will move artillery for training from Bangkok to Lopburi from today until 3 September.—Krungthep Turakij
• On Saturday, former hardcore supporter of the royalist PDRC Tanat ‘Nat’ Thanakijamnuay who has adversely joined the anti-government protest and has lost his right eye from the reported police tear gas. The now anti-establishment activist has called for a campaign to list 3 to 10 million signatures calling for the draft bill to grant amnesty to all protestors who got charges from Royal Defamation Law.—Thai Rath
• The Royal Gazette has published the Election Commission Announcement setting Bangkok constituencies areasinto 51 areas for the upcoming Bangkok council members election.—Royal Gazette

Analysis/ opinion

• Media are starting to look into the tendency in the vote of no confidence as a means towards the cabinet reshuffle.–Matichon and Nation TV
  • Matichon and Nation regarded the censure debate as a stepping stone by the troika (PPRP sec-gen: Thammanat, Government whip: Virat and PPRP treasurer: Narumon) to kick three ministers (Labour: Suchart, Education: Trinuch and Digital Economy: Chaiwoot-latter two just freshly appointed) from the positions in a bid to make the slot available and claim the positions. The media read the move as intra-PPRP conflicts by using the three ministers who will likely get the least votes to be a claim pressuring the PM to push them out.
  • Separately, the three executive editors of the Nation Group made two additional complications in the upcoming censure debate. Firstly, they said that there is a minister who is believed to get the least vote from the PPRP MPs (apparently, Transport Minister Saksayam from Bhumjaithai Party) has called to make a political deal with former PM Thaksin in a bid for support from Thaksin’s opposition Pheu Thai Party. The minister and secretary-general from the second largest ruling reportedly said that he will have his party support the exiled PM in the next election. Secondly, they went further in exploring the opportunity of the PM did not pass the censure debate and have General Prawit who is deputy PM and PPRP leader as an interim caretaker Prime Minister should there is an unexpected political event which rendered the PM unable to lead.
  • It is reported that despite Education Minister is not on the list of the censure debate, the PPRP treasurer and Deputy Labour Minister Narumon is eyeing for the Education Minister portfolio.–Matichon
• A media said that Labour Minister Suchart  who is on the censure list talked to him saying that some PPRP MPs are giving the insight information and has convinced the Opposition to put the minister name on the list in a ploy to make him least favourable minister and pressuring the PM to kick him out of office.—Inside Thailand