Headlines summary as of 3 February 2022

Source : Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)

Covid-19 news update/regulation

• 2.5 million students aged from 5- 12  across the country or 78% desires to receive the vaccine, according to the survey released by Ministry of Education. In addition, the Permanent-Secretary confirmed that 79 %  of school have been reopened. Prachachart
• The Ministry of Public Health has set the guideline for the children and families  infected with COVID-19  without showing symptoms  during  their traveling to Thailand.The guideline are as follows ;               

1. In case of the children whose parents are infected .The medical treatment will be set as a group
2. In case the children are  infected but the parents are not infected, the child will get a medical treatment. The parents under the age of 60, who do not have underlying disease can take care of  to their children
3. In case the children are not infected but the parent is infected .The  relatives will take care of. them  If there are no relatives or caregivers available,  the children will be arranged to alternative place  under the overseeing of  Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MDC) as a care taker ManagerOnline

Politics

General debate

• The 3 whips from the Cabinet, government and opposition yesterday agreed on the dates and time for a general debate submitted by the opposition which will be on  17-18 February,2022 . The debate will include 30 hours, which will be allocated between the 2 sides.  The opposition has been allocated 22 hours to grill its targets while cabinet ministers were given 8 hours to respond to questions. MPs will receive 11 hours each. The debate will start from 9.30 hrs to 00.30 hrs. The topic will include the rising of public debt and Covid-19 pandemic ThaiPBS ManagerOnline

• The Prime Minister Prayut said that the parliament dissolution depends on different sides, adding people still has a confident in him INN

General Election

The Election Commission (EC) gave a hint on its readiness to organize the general election that expects to be held in 2023

• It stated that it had instructed its offices in all provinces to prepare to redemarcate electoral boundaries to accommodate the increased number of MPs under the amended constitution, fuelling speculation of a possible early general election.
• Under the 2017 constitution, as amended in 2021, the next House of Representatives will have 500 members – 400 elected in constituencies and 100 from party lists. This is an increase from 350 constituency MPs. v
• On average, there will be one constituency MP per 165,428 people.
• Bangkok will have 3 more constituency seats than it had at the last general election and still has more seats than any other province. Trat, Ranong, Samut Songkhram and Sing Buri will just have one seat each, in line with the new parliamentary seat allocation just completed by the poll agency.

• 11 constituency MPs each for Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Ubon Ratchathani.
• 10 MPs each for Chon Buri and Buri Ram.
• 9 MPs each for Nakhon Si Thammarat, Si Sa Ket, Songkhla and Udon Thani.
• 8 MPs for Chiang Rai, Nonthaburi, Roi-et, Samut Prakan and Surin.
• 7 MPs each for Chaiyaphum, Pathum Thani, Sakhon Nakhon and Surat Thani.
• 6 MPs each for Kalasin, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Sawan, Phetchabun and Maha Sarakham.
• 5 MPs each for Kanchanaburi, Narathiwat, Ayutthaya, Phitsanulok, Rayong, Ratchaburi and Suphan Buri.
• 4 MPs each for Kamphaeng Phet, Chachoengsao, Trang, Tak, Nakhon Phanom, Pattani, Lop Buri, Lampang, Loei, Samut Sakhon, Saraburi and Sukhothai.
• 3 MPs each for Krabi, Chanthaburi, Chumphon, Nan, Bueng Kan, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phayao, Phatthalung, Phichit, Phetchaburi, Phrae, Phuket, Yasothon, Yala, Sa Kaeo, Nong Khai, Nong Bua Lamphu and Uttaradit.
• 2 MPs each for Chainat, Nakhon Nayok, Phang-nga, Mukdahan, Mae Hong Son, Lamphun, Satun, Ang Thong, Amnat Charoen and Uthai Thani    KrungthepTurakij

Akara Mine

• The fact that the TAFTA tribunal has deferred issuing its award multiple times is an indication that the negotiations between Australia’s Kingsgate Consolidated and the Thai government is proceeding well, speculates the ThaiPBS reporter.  The most likely scenario is Kingsgate will drop the lawsuit against the Thai government and the Thai people will not have to pay 750 million dollars in compensation.  This will save PM Prayut from being butchered by Pheu Thai party at the parliamentary debate, but the ambiguity surrounding the agreements PM Prayut made with the Australian company will continue to fuel objections from civic groups and the general public.  Source:  ThaiPBS
• A civic group together with villagers living around Chatree mine handed a letter to Pheu Thai party, asking that an investigation be conducted into the government’s decision to allow Chatree mine to reopen.  They demanded that the government publicise the deals made with Kingsgate.  They petition that the mine remain closed as they neither had participation in Chatree mine’s environmental report nor the government’s decision to reopen the mine.  They made 7 observations which indicated the government is giving Kinsgsgate more what’s under dispute.  Source:  BBC Thai  The Matter  Voice TV

Others

• The Electric Vehicle (EV) package being put together by DPM Supattanapong and team will most likely be submitted for the cabinet’s consideration at the end of January or by mid-February at the latest.  Currently details are being finalized on the requirement criteria for EV manufacturers, such as bank guarantee and other fees.  EV player in the Thai market such as MG heralds the package and expects it to incentivize purchases of 2-million-Baht EVs.  Source:Krungthep Turakij
• Thailand’s overall cross-border trade, including transit trade, tallied 1.71 trillion Baht in 2021; a growth of 30 percentYoY, which surpassed Commerce Ministry’s target of 6 percent by 5-6 fold.  For 2022, cross-border trade is forecasted to grow by 5-7 percent to 1.08-1.1 trillion Baht, driven by the global recovery, Baht depreciation and the opening of the Laos-China high speed train.  Source:  Naew Na Bangkok Post
• The Japanese Chamber of Commerce’s latest survey showed that business sentiment among Japanese companies in Thailand for 2022 is to reach the highest level in 7 years following a nosedive in sentiment last year.  They believe the Thai economy will start recovering in 1H of 2022 due to good COVID-19 containment, the state’s economic stimulus packages and accelerated infrastructure development. The NESDC added that the Japanese’s interest in investing in the EEC had gone up from 10 to 40 percent, an indication that investment incentives in the EEC are effective.  Among the challenging negative factors, the rise in the prices of oil and goods is particularly notable.  Source:  Bangkok Post, Krungthep Turakij newspaper, 3 February 2022
• Most businesses do not plan to increase the prices of their goods and services in the next 3 months despite rising costs, according to a Bank of Thailand (BOT) survey conducted from 1-21 January on 246 SMEs and large corporations.  Most businesses that will not raise prices are in the service sector, where operating costs are yet to rise much compared with the manufacturing sector.  Those who plan to increase the prices of goods and services are manufacturers of rubber, plastic and food and beverages. Source: Bangkok Post
• The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) warns the economy could falter because of the spread of the Omicron variant and the Russia-Ukraine standoff, which will push up oil price.  Both factors could dent the global economy and slows Thailand’s economic recovery in 2022.  Source:  Bangkok Post