KEY ISSUES AT A GLANCE
- Chinese lockdowns hitting Thai producers. China’s lockdown of 6 cities and major deep-sea ports have an adverse effect on the Thai manufacturing sector and its supply chains as they account for 72.6 percent of China’s overall exports to Thailand, said the NESDC. There is a sharp slowdown in the export of Chinese products to Thailand such as chemical products, electrical appliance components, rubber, paper, fertiliser and wood. Those raw materials are key to Thai manufacturing supply chains, especially electrical appliances, computers components, machinery, plastic and chemicals. NESDC warns the problems likely to be prolonged. Source: Bangkok Post
- Political polarisation ‘starting to ease’. Independent candidate Chadchart Sittipunt’s victory in Sunday’s Bangkok governor election has shown that political polarisation is starting to ease, with voters backing candidates from opposite political camps, a renowned academic said. Mr Chadchart received 1,386,215 votes, ahead of Suchatvee Suwansawat of the Democrat Party, who received 240,884 votes, according to the unofficial results of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). Phichai Ratnatilaka Na Bhuket, a political science lecturer at the National Institute of Development Administration [Nida], told the Bangkok Post that Bangkok voters have a broader political outlook and most of them are politically liberal and do not cling on to the political camps they had previously supported. “Therefore, the governor poll saw voters cross the floor to support opposite camps,” Mr Phichai said. Source: Bangkok Post
- Australia’s new PM heads to Tokyo with climate message. CANBERRA – Australia’s new prime minister Anthony Albanese took office Monday, hours before flying to a Tokyo summit with a “message to the world” that his country is ready to engage on climate change. The 59-year-old Labor Party leader told reporters he wants to “bring people with us on the journey of change” before he took the oath of office in a brief, publicly televised ceremony at Government House in Canberra. In a hurried post-election schedule, he was flying out a few hours later to join a summit Tuesday with the US, Japanese and Indian leaders, known as the Quad. Source: Bangkok Post, Matichon
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Emergency operations centre set up to monitor Monkeypox situation in Thailand. Thailand’s Disease Control Department has set up an emergency operations centre to keep a close watch on the Monkeypox situation, which has now spread to 15 countries. The department’s director-general, Dr. Opart Karnkawinpong, said yesterday (Sunday) that, although Monkeypox has not been detected in Thailand yet, there is a risk of the disease spreading from people arriving from countries where Monkeypox infections, a rare disease caused by the Monkeypox virus, have been detected, as Thailand has eased travel restrictions to allow more overseas arrivals. He said that the emergency operations centre will monitor the Monkeypox situation globally, will assess the potential situation in Thailand and will formulate both medium and long-term precautionary measures. Dr. Opart said that more than 100 cases have been detected in 15 countries, which include the UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, France, Germany, Sweden, the US, Canada, Australia, Israel, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Greece. Source: Thai PBS
- APEC ended without a joint statement but remains on track to pursue FTAAP by 2040. DPM and Commerce Minister Jurin revealed that the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting (MRT) which ran from 21-22 May 2022 ended without a joint statement due to differences over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Nevertheless, Minister Jurin confirms APEC MRT meeting was a success despite 5 economies (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan) walking out of the meeting when a Russian Minister was giving a speech on 21 May. All economies agreed to develop the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) by 2040 and had also discussed 7 important topics related to living with the COVID-19 world. These include such as supply chains and logistics issues, MSMEs and SMEs promotion and integrating BCG Model into the practices of MSMEs and SMEs. Source: Prachachart Turakij, Bangkok Post Matichon
- Russia eager to see trade top $10bn with Thailand. Russia is adamant about its push for bilateral trade with Thailand reaching US$10 billion (330 billion baht) a year after showing strong interest in investing in the kingdom, says DPM and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit. Minister Jurin was speaking to the media on Saturday after attending talks with Russia’s Minister of Economic Development on the sidelines of APEC MRT meeting in Bangkok. Source: Bangkok Post
AUSTRALIA IN THE NEWS
- Australia’s new PM heads to Tokyo with climate message. CANBERRA – Australia’s new prime minister Anthony Albanese took office Monday, hours before flying to a Tokyo summit with a “message to the world” that his country is ready to engage on climate change. The 59-year-old Labor Party leader told reporters he wants to “bring people with us on the journey of change” before he took the oath of office in a brief, publicly televised ceremony at Government House in Canberra. In a hurried post-election schedule, he was flying out a few hours later to join a summit Tuesday with the US, Japanese and Indian leaders, known as the Quad. Source: Bangkok Post, Matichon
- The Quad at a crossroads. When the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue was first conceived as a strategic coalition of the four leading democracies in the Indo-Pacific, many doubted it would amount to much. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi mocked it as a “headline-grabbing idea” that would dissipate “like the sea foam in the Pacific or Indian Ocean”. But continued Chinese expansionism, combined with the determination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe to build broad resistance to it, has produced an increasingly consolidated group, with real potential to bolster regional security. The question is whether it will deliver. One thing is certain: all four Quad members — Australia, India, Japan, and the United States — are essential to realise the vision of a “free and open Indo-Pacific”. Source: Bangkok Post
- Australia’s election: Out the “Bulldozer”, in the “Builder”. May 22, 2022: In Australia, time has come for someone who appears more compromising regarding international relations, boasts greater moral characteristics than his opponent and seems more serious about climate change. Anthony Albanese beat Scott Morrison in Australia’s election despite the latter’s self-described “Bulldozer” status and the incumbent government’s impressive war on COVID-19. The “Builder” apparently took advantage of the outgoing leader’s flawed integrity and other personal problems to end nine years of conservative rule. Even the conservatives’ attacks on Albanese regarding his attitude toward China could not prevent his victory. After the pandemic, during which Australian states were practically cut off from each other and citizens divided by strict lockdowns, Albanese made an all-too-familiar vow to recreate unity. Source: Thai PBS
COVID
- 4, 099 new confirmed cases (0 prison), 29 deaths, 8, 856 discharged from hospital Source: Department of Disease Control Ministry of Public Health
- 51, 006 currently in hospital
- 4, 789 ATK positive tests awaiting PCR confirmation. 2 cases from abroad.
- Anutin backtracks on July 1 endemic goal. Covid-19 will not be declared as an endemic disease on July 1, the health minister said on Friday, despite earlier suggestions that it would be. Senior members of the government have been telling the public over the past two months that the government is planning to declare Covid as an endemic disease in July without providing a timeline or specific criteria. Those claims were refuted by the health minister. “No one said that it would be declared on July 1,” Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters at government house. Anutin said the current outbreak with the number of severe cases of around 1,000 patients and the declining number of daily Covid deaths are supporting the move to declare the disease as endemic. Source: Thai Enquirer
- What Covid measures will be eased on June 1 in Thailand? The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has announced changes to Covid-19 prevention measures effective from June 1. The Yellow Zone (highest surveillance) will cover 46 provinces, the Green Zone (low surveillance) 14 provinces and Blue Zone (pilot tourism) 17 provinces. Entertainment venues in the Blue and Green zones can serve alcohol until midnight. However, alcohol promotions and sharing drinks are still banned while staff must wear face masks. Venue operators need permission from the provincial communicable disease committee before reopening. Staff must be screened for symptoms and take a rapid antigen test every seven days. Customers must have a vaccination certificate and follow Covid-19 controls. Thai travellers no longer need to register for Thailand Pass from June 1, while government officials and academics are allowed to travel abroad. The state of emergency has been extended to July 31 to maintain disease controls and ensure smooth transition to an endemic situation. Source: The Nation. Disease controls eased on June 1:
- Thailand Pass scrapped for Thais.
- Foreign travellers to receive TP QR code immediately.
- Rezoning of provinces.
- State of Emergency extended to July 31.
- Government officials can travel abroad (pending cabinet approval).
- Road map to declare endemic.
POLITICS
- Political polarisation ‘starting to ease’. Independent candidate Chadchart Sittipunt’s victory in Sunday’s Bangkok governor election has shown that political polarisation is starting to ease, with voters backing candidates from opposite political camps, a renowned academic said. Mr Chadchart received 1,386,215 votes, ahead of Suchatvee Suwansawat of the Democrat Party, who received 240,884 votes, according to the unofficial results of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). Phichai Ratnatilaka Na Bhuket, a political science lecturer at the National Institute of Development Administration [Nida], told the Bangkok Post that Bangkok voters have a broader political outlook and most of them are politically liberal and do not cling on to the political camps they had previously supported. “Therefore, the governor poll saw voters cross the floor to support opposite camps,” Mr Phichai said. Source: Bangkok Post
- Staggering victory that requires careful reading. Chatchard Sittipunt’s stunning landslide may have hidden scrambled messages voters in the capital delivered on Sunday in the Bangkok gubernatorial election, but arguably the real nightmare for the shaken powers-that-be was in the outcome of the city assembly votes. He won competing as an independent, leaving the question of “what if?”. How many votes represented the Pheu Thai Party’s power base? How many of the other votes did he earn for himself through a reputation as a hard-working professional with technical abilities? How many votes were cast by those satisfied that he had, seemingly at least, distanced himself from a highly-controversial figure, or Thaksin Shinawatra to be exact? How many votes were pro-Thaksin ones? Former Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang was snubbed, losing to even his ex-deputy Sakoltee Phattiyakul. But if votes for the two Prayut appointees were combined, the number must have worried the second and third places. Is it possible that Aswin and Sakoltee took votes off each other and thus narrowly lost to Suchatvee Suwansawas and Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, who both must have enjoyed solid “loyal” bases? Source: Thai PBS
- Five takeaways from the Bangkok elections. Bangkok held its first local elections since 2013, with voters casting their ballots for Bangkok governor and the Bangkok Metropolitan Council. Read full article for the five takeaways from the results. Source: Thai Enquirer
ECONOMICS
- Baht on a tightrope. Industry leaders have urged the government to carefully manage the Baht to keep its value at a rate that will benefit both importers and exporters. The Baht had depreciated to its lowest value in 5 years, by 3.4 percent since the start of 2022 to be valued at 34.62 per US Dollar as of May 9. Its depreciation is a boon for the export and tourism sectors, but could affect other sectors that rely on key raw material imports. Source: Bangkok Post
- The State Railway Authority of Thailand (SRA) ready to hand over land for hail-speed rail developers on 24 July. The State Railway Authority of Thailand said it will hand over various pieces of land in Chonburi province to the developers of the high-speed rail linking the 3 airport on 24 July. The SRA has successfully negotiated for the inhabitants to vacate the land and is demolishing all the infrastructure on it. The land high-speed rail is an important aspect of the EEC and the handover is a good indication that the EEC projects will go ahead as planned. Source: Krungthep Turakij printed newspaper
OTHER
- Craft beer goes wild: Bangkok’s Taproom up in Khao Yai through July. Add another stop to that weekend mountain getaway: refreshing brews. Taproom recently forayed into the lush greenery of Khao Yai National Park with a craft beer bar called Taproom Vacation, where it’s packed 20 taps and dozens of cans and bottles in rustic splendor. On tap, find Beerlao draft (THB200) and Denmark’s To Ol (THB300), currently ranked Europe’s No. 2 craft beer and ninth overall worldwide. A must-try, however, has to be Muay Thai, a craft beer bar brewed in Vietnam by the Smiling Mad Dog guys. Available on tap are an IPA and Witbier — both THB300. Food is what you’d expect from a beer bar: fried chicken wings (THB300) and smoky BBQ ribs (THB500). We are horny for the Punk IPA-batter fried calamari (THB300) and grilled mixed sausages served with pickled cucumber (THB450). The Taproom pop-up is located on Midwinter Farm, a farm-to-table restaurant and outdoor space on Thanaratch Road in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district. It’s open 5pm until midnight, Friday through Sunday. The location will operate until July 31. In Bangkok, Taproom has branches at The Commons Saladaeng and Smiling Coffee Steak in the Lat Phrao area. Source: Coconuts Bangkok
For further information please see the embassy’s Facebook Page ‘Australian Embassy, Thailand’ or the Ambassador’s Twitter Page https://twitter.com/AusAmbBKK
