Headlines summary as of 27 August 2021

News

• The CCSA held its meeting and has made the following lockdown easing measures effective from 1 September:

• The CCSA is embarking on the ‘Universal Prevention’ approach, implying taking the guards up while living with the virus.
• Provinces in the Dark Red Zone remains at 29 provinces. The curfew in the areas are from 9.00pm to 4.00am.
• Events allowed with participants no more than 25 people for Dark Red Zone areas.
• Restaurants in the dark red zone has been allowed to open for dine-in at 50 percent capacity in air-conditioned premises and 75 percent at outdoor premises.
• Beauty salons, barber shops, massage (foot massage-only), public parks, outdoor sport fields and outdoor sport stadiums (with exception of gym) are allowed to be reopened.
• All shops in shopping and community malls can operate as per normal with limited services.
• Facilities in schools are allowed to be used for specific purposes-such as for exams. The requests must be approved by the Education Ministry and the provincial communicable disease committee.
• Interprovincial buses and planes will be allowed from and to Dark Red Zones, but the CCSA seek people cooperation to travel when really necessary. Public transport is allowed to operate at 75% capacity. Masks should be worn at all times. Food and drink consumption is not allowed. Vans and buses should stop to allow air circulation every 2-3 hours. Workers who travel to work must follow a sealed route under the bubble and seal measure.
• What remains closed in Dark Red Zone: cram schools, movie theatres, spas, theme parks, water parks, conference centres and dining halls.
• The CCSA posted on its FB outlining the vaccine procurement plan from August until December as followed:

• The permanent-secretary of the Public Health ministry Kiattiphum Wongrajit said in a press briefing that Thailand is in talks with European countries to purchase millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines, without getting into details of which countries they are in talk with.—Reuters
• The Royal Gazette has published the order allowing Thammasat University to import vaccines or COVID-treating medicine by itself. The similar with that of the Royal Chulabhorn Academy which is importing Chinese Sinopharm vaccines.—Krungthep Turakij

Politics

• The House has decided that the censure debate will be held from 31 August until 3 September before the vote of no-confidence will be on 4 September.—Krungthep Turakij
• The main opposition Pheu Thai Party said that they will hold a parallel activity inviting people to wear black costumes or have black ribbon, in a symbolic gesture against the PM.—Thai Rath
• Talu Fah Group is going to hold the other gathering at the Democracy Monument tomorrow from 3.00pm. The other major gathering will be on Sunday by Car Mob Group in the Bangkok northern suburb. The gathering will begin at 14:00 at Kasetsart intersection. The head of the procession faces Vibhavadi Road. At the end of the path at Thep Pathum courtyard on Tad Bomrong road in Pathum Thani district.—Thai Rath

Australia

• Ambassador’s interview on the bilateral relations and the King Documentary was on ThaiPBS World has been uploaded.—ThaiPBS World

Economic

• Moody’s has maintained Thailand’s sovereign credit rating at Baa1, equivalent to BBB+, citing a ‘stable’ economic outlook due to strong public finances.  This is attributable to Thailand’s low short-term debt of only 8 percent, with a low Baht-to-foreign currency debt of less than 2 percent, which keeps inflation low.  Post COVID-19, Moody’s expects foreign investments in Thailand will continue to grow, especially in the EEC zone.  Source: The Nation  TNN Thailand
• The Board of Investment (BOI) forecasts that the value of investment application this year will reach the target of 500 billion Baht despite the COVID-19 outbreak.  Foreign investments have started returning to Thailand, especially in electronics, medical equipment and renewable energy sectors.  Investment is expected to return to its normal level of 700 billion Baht within 2 years, with the BOI’s focus being on promoting digital technology.  Currently BOI is in talks with foreign investors from 10 companies that are keen to expand their investment in electronics and semiconductors.  BOI is also developing promotion package for aerospace and satellite investment, with the goal of making Thailand a production hub of this industry.  Source:  Bangkok PostKhao SodKrungthep Turakij
• Commerce Ministry (MoC) has set sights on increasing fruit shipments this year by 30 percent to 180 billion Baht, reiterating that 2021 is a golden year for Thai fruit trade.  This is because the value of Thailand’s frozen and processed fruit exports totalled 131 billion Baht in the first 7 months of 2021, which is a 48.3 percent increase.  Commerce Minister Jurin attributed this to Thai Fruit Golden Month promotional events that were held in China in the last 7 months.  Source:  Bangkok PostThai Rath
• At the online seminar “Recharging Asia: Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development amidst Post Pandemic World” organised by the International Institute for Trade and Development, Supachai Panitchpakdi, former DG of WTO Asia warned the region to brace for a proliferation of trade disputes, slowing global economy, food and medical shortages and climate change concerns.  He anticipates there will be a fight back against globalization trend, which is weakening, as well as multilateralism.  At the upcoming WTO MC 12,discussions will focus on the impacts of Covid-19, food scarcity, overfishing, food exports, the availability of vaccines and compulsory licensing for emerging markets to produce vaccines without a monopoly.  Source:  Bangkok Post
• Industry Ministry anticipates some 149 billion Baht worth of investment for the bio industry, which is part of the BCG Economic model.  Among them are the 57-billion-Baht Asia Bio Hub project in Chachoengsao province, which has garnered the interests of investors from Netherland, USA, Canada, Germany, UK, Chian and France.  There is also a plan to attract investors to develop the medical-grade marijuana at Lopburi province’s bio-complex.  A successful investment was recently sealed between the American company NatureWorks and GKBI, a subsidiary of PTT, at Nakhon Sawan province’s bio compelx.   This is in line with Thailand’s plan to become the Bio Hub of ASEAN.  Source:  Thansettakij
• The Samui Plus model which started on July 15 under the 7+7 extension scheme linking with Phuket Sandbox has a long way to go to shore up the hotel business on Koh Samui.  As of Aug 24, Samui Plus welcomed 431 international travellers, of which 34 tourists continued their journey to Koh Phangan and 22 to Koh Tao. The number of visitors to Samui Plus has yet to reach the goal of 1,000 because of the expensive costs associated with tourists having to pay for medical fees and 3 swab tests for 15,000 baht per person.  To date, only 26 percent or 177 hotels with 8,629 rooms on the island can reopen, while the remaining 671 hotels with 25,000 rooms remain closed.  Source:  Bangkok Post