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Video: Thai businesses develop robots to adapt to coronavirus era

High demand in medical and hygiene sectors, as 5G networks help
MARIMI KISHIMOTO, Nikkei staff writerJune 8, 2020 12:02 JST

 

BANGKOK -- The coronavirus outbreak has accelerated the development of the robotics industry in Thailand, as companies race to devise solutions to meet increased hygiene and medical needs.

 

Robotics is one of 10 strategic sectors that the government wants to focus on, but the industry's development had been slow until now. The coronavirus pandemic has moved things forward rapidly and companies have now developed robots that can take body temperatures, check mask usage, as well as conduct remote medical examinations.

 

Tops Market, a supermarket chain in Bangkok, was one of the first retailers to use robots in the pandemic. In late April, the company placed a monitor at the front of the store that can read customers' temperatures. Anyone with a temperature above 37.5 degrees Celsius will trigger an alarm and denied entry.

 

The device was developed by Central Tech, a subsidiary of Central Group, the largest retailer in Thailand. Using facial recognition technology, the monitor also sounds an alarm and prevents customers from entering if they are not wearing masks. Central Group plans to install the machines at 15 stores -- most of them either Tops Markets or FamilyMart convenience stores -- in Bangkok by the end of May.

 

When CentralWorld, a shopping center in Bangkok, resumed operations on May 17, it introduced a new worker: a four-legged, mobile robot "K9" developed by Advanced Info Service, the largest telecommunications company in Thailand. A bottle of hand sanitizer is mounted on the back of the robot which approaches shoppers in its vicinity, encouraging them to sanitize their hands.

 

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A device developed by Central Group to check body temperatures. (Bangkok)

 

The Central Group also installed another type of robot that uses ultraviolet light to sterilize areas in some of its stores.

 

"We have introduced new technology to ensure the safety of our employees and our customers," Central said.

 

Competition is also rising among companies to develop robots to support medical facilities. In March, AIS teamed up with Chulalongkorn University, Thailand's best, to test a robot for use in hospitals. The robot can measure the temperature of patients and relay that message to medical staff in a different room. It also allows patients to communicate with medical staff through video calls.

 

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An automated machine used by Central Group to sterilize its shop floor.

 

AIS calls it the "first 5G robot in Thailand," as it relies on fifth-generation networks to transmit vast amounts of data quickly. It plans to introduce 23 units to 22 hospitals by early May. The machine can also be used to transport medicine and sanitizers, and to measure blood oxygen levels.

 

"I'm glad I could make a new normal for medical facilities in the future," said Wasit Wattanasap, head of the nationwide operations and support department at AIS, who was involved in developing the robot. He said that his team is now focusing on expanding the capabilities of the robot to respond to voice commands and to clean itself using ozone and ultraviolet light.

 

True Corp., Thailand's number two telecommunications company, also started to develop a medical robot in March, offer medical treatment via video calls, as well as to transport food and medical equipment.

 

Engineering students at Chulalongkorn University have also developed their own robots -- "Pinto," or lunchbox, which transports food and medicine; "Nong Grajok,"  which is used for communication between doctors and patients; and "Ninja," which sends patients' medical data, like blood pressure and temperature, to doctors elsewhere.

 

In April, the university's alumni donated 103 robots to hospitals.

 

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A four-legged robot dog “K9” offers hand sanitizer to a shopper in Bangkok. (Photo by Akira Kodaka) 

 

Industry experts said they hoped this trend to innovate will continue.

 

"Thai companies have not tried to make their own robots," said Chalermpon Punnotok, CEO of CT Asia Robotics, which has been developing automated machines since before the coronavirus epidemic. "In Thailand, the talented students choose jobs at well-known foreign companies or conglomerates. Not many take the path of developing their own robots."

 

Until now, Thailand had been content to rely on foreign companies for high-tech innovations but the coronavirus outbreak might have changed that mindset.

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Had a nice dinner last night at an upmarket Isaan restaurant in The Promenade Mall in Bangkok

 

Jadjaan
bLCIEVN.jpg

 

Modern and nice decor
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Kitchen
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Gai yang - roast chicken with Thai herbs
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Somtam Sua - its somtam with some rice noodle
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Somtam Thai
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Tom Saeb - spicy soup
dJix1ed.jpg

 

Sai thod - fried pig intestine
hpZVLTN.jpg

 

Simple fried rice
TLnXk9k.jpg

 

Dinner
viQVT2Y.jpg

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This is Covid tracker we have to check in and out almost everywhere using our smart phone

 

At entrance use QR code to check-in and temperature taken
aw6ablJ.jpg

 

Launch the link to check-in
O8otdZK.png

 

Message confirmation
v6m6fIh.png

 

Do the same thing while on the way out

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https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Thailand-s-condo-market-sinks-as-Chinese-investment-ebbs?utm_campaign=RN%20Subscriber%20newsletter&utm_medium=daily%20newsletter&utm_source=NAR%20Newsletter&utm_content=article%20link&del_type=1&pub_date=20200610190000&seq_num=7&si=%%user_id%%

 

Thailand's condo market sinks as Chinese investment ebbs
Coronavirus travel bans speed drop sparked by stronger baht and trade war

 

https%3A%2F%2Fs3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaw

Thailand's coronavirus lockdown left central Bangkok deserted. The pandemic has rubbed salt in the wound left by falling Chinese real estate investment. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
JASON TAN, Contributing writerJune 10, 2020 13:00 JST

 

BANGKOK -- Beijing native Bobby He has a dozen Chinese friends who own condominium units across Thai hot spots such as Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya.

"Some even bought three units at the same project," he said. "They plan to retire in Thailand, so one unit is for self-stay while the other two are to rent out to support retirement life."

 

Though property in Thailand seemingly offers an attractive bargain for Chinese buyers compared with their home market, these Thai investments are plunging in value as the coronavirus pandemic hammers the global economy.

 

The Beijing native said he even heard of a Chinese investor who spent 3.8 million baht ($121,000) on a condo unit in the outskirts of Bangkok, only to learn that the developer recently slashed prices to below 3 million baht.

 

It is no secret that Thailand's residential market depends heavily on Chinese investors, who became the biggest source of tourism income in recent years thanks to the kingdom's proximity to China, its cheaper cost of living and pleasant weather.

 

Mainland China and Hong Kong accounted for 43% of the 92.16 billion baht transferred from abroad by all foreigners to buy condo units in Thailand in 2018, according to the Bank of Thailand, the country's central bank. The U.S., Singapore, Taiwan, the U.K. and Japan were also among the biggest spenders. Foreigners are allowed to own 49% of a condo project in Thailand, and they are barred from owning landed property.

 

But Chinese money has ebbed from Southeast Asia's second-largest economy since last year due to a stronger Thai baht and a simmering U.S.-China trade war. The pandemic has rubbed salt in the wound.

 

Huang Cheng, a native of the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu, owns several condo units in Bangkok's Wong Wian Yai and On Nut -- two popular rental locations for Chinese Airbnb travelers. Though Huang easily rented out units for at least 1,000 baht before the pandemic, most of his condos now are idle.

 

Thailand has barred international commercial flights into the country until the end of June. Despite talk of allowing travelers, especially Chinese, into the tourism-reliant country, market observers said tourism activity will not resume until the October-December quarter.

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand projected in May that foreign travelers will decline this year by almost two-thirds to 14 million, the lowest number in 14 years. The country hosted a record 39.8 million foreign arrivals in 2019.

 

Thailand reported slightly over 3,100 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, largely bringing the pandemic under control in comparison to neighboring countries such as Singapore, which logged over 38,500 in the same period.

 

Thailand's property market was depressed by the 1997 Asian financial crisis, regaining momentum only in 2010. Record-breaking investments in condo projects were made in 2012 and 2013, thanks to the government's incentive for first-time house buyers.

 

From 2010 to 2018, an average of 105,000 new units debuted in Bangkok yearly, according to Bank of Ayudhya's research house Krungsri Research. But sales totaled only about 96,000 units per year, which lifted housing inventory.

 

As the pandemic hurts the country's economy, Thai developers are adopting various tactics including 50% discounts to entice buyers.

 

The condo trend "is likely to slow both in terms of supply and demand," said Risinee Sarikaputra, director of research and consultancy at Knight Frank Thailand. She said it is expected to take "another two years for the condominium market to improve."

 

Around 100,000 units remained for sale in Bangkok as of May, she said.

 

AP (Thailand), which builds the Aspire condo brand, reported a drop of over 40% in first-quarter net profit from a year ago to 618 million baht. Revenue dipped 31% to 5.4 billion baht.

 

Rival Sansiri, familiar to overseas buyers for its premium condos, saw a steeper 85% decline in net profit to 62 million baht. The company already felt the pinch last year, when it logged a mere 3 billion baht in total presales from foreign buyers, a plunge from 14 billion baht in 2018.

 

To increase liquidity as most buyers -- local and foreign -- are expected to tighten their purse strings, Sansiri recently rolled out a "pay early discount scheme" for its luxurious XT Ekkamai project.

 

The 38-story high rise developed by Sansiri and Japan's Tokyu is slated for completion in December. Buyers who opt to deliver as much as 75% of the outstanding payment can enjoy discounts of up to 12%. That means a 30-sq.-meter unit at the prime location of Ekkamai is now for sale at 4 million baht.

 

Vichai Viratkapan, acting director-general of the Real Estate Information Center, said the government could devise visa-incentive schemes for foreign buyers if they expedite their transfer of ownership of property. The center is an industry researcher under the purview of the Thai Ministry of Finance.

 

Thailand doesn't grant foreign property buyers an automatic resident visa. If these people wish to stay in the country, they need to apply for work, investment or retirement visas.

 

The "Malaysia My Second Home" program in Thailand's Southeast Asian neighbor allows foreigners a 10-year renewable residence visa, provided that they put in a minimum fixed deposit of 150,000 ringgit ($35,170) with a local bank. In October, Malaysia reduced the threshold for foreigners to buy property to 600,000 ringgit, from 1 million ringgit, hoping to ease a supply glut.

 

Bobby He, who resides in Bangkok, is taking a more cautious approach. He currently invests in only one property, where he plans to stay with his partner upon completion over the next two years.

 

"It's better to be safe than sorry," he said. "Doing homework is critical."

 

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On 6/12/2020 at 9:59 AM, Yamato said:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Thailand-s-condo-market-sinks-as-Chinese-investment-ebbs?utm_campaign=RN%20Subscriber%20newsletter&utm_medium=daily%20newsletter&utm_source=NAR%20Newsletter&utm_content=article%20link&del_type=1&pub_date=20200610190000&seq_num=7&si=%%user_id%%

 

Thailand's condo market sinks as Chinese investment ebbs
Coronavirus travel bans speed drop sparked by stronger baht and trade war

 

https%3A%2F%2Fs3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaw

Thailand's coronavirus lockdown left central Bangkok deserted. The pandemic has rubbed salt in the wound left by falling Chinese real estate investment. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
JASON TAN, Contributing writerJune 10, 2020 13:00 JST

 

BANGKOK -- Beijing native Bobby He has a dozen Chinese friends who own condominium units across Thai hot spots such as Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya.

"Some even bought three units at the same project," he said. "They plan to retire in Thailand, so one unit is for self-stay while the other two are to rent out to support retirement life."

 

Though property in Thailand seemingly offers an attractive bargain for Chinese buyers compared with their home market, these Thai investments are plunging in value as the coronavirus pandemic hammers the global economy.

 

The Beijing native said he even heard of a Chinese investor who spent 3.8 million baht ($121,000) on a condo unit in the outskirts of Bangkok, only to learn that the developer recently slashed prices to below 3 million baht.

 

It is no secret that Thailand's residential market depends heavily on Chinese investors, who became the biggest source of tourism income in recent years thanks to the kingdom's proximity to China, its cheaper cost of living and pleasant weather.

 

Mainland China and Hong Kong accounted for 43% of the 92.16 billion baht transferred from abroad by all foreigners to buy condo units in Thailand in 2018, according to the Bank of Thailand, the country's central bank. The U.S., Singapore, Taiwan, the U.K. and Japan were also among the biggest spenders. Foreigners are allowed to own 49% of a condo project in Thailand, and they are barred from owning landed property.

 

But Chinese money has ebbed from Southeast Asia's second-largest economy since last year due to a stronger Thai baht and a simmering U.S.-China trade war. The pandemic has rubbed salt in the wound.

 

Huang Cheng, a native of the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu, owns several condo units in Bangkok's Wong Wian Yai and On Nut -- two popular rental locations for Chinese Airbnb travelers. Though Huang easily rented out units for at least 1,000 baht before the pandemic, most of his condos now are idle.

 

Thailand has barred international commercial flights into the country until the end of June. Despite talk of allowing travelers, especially Chinese, into the tourism-reliant country, market observers said tourism activity will not resume until the October-December quarter.

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand projected in May that foreign travelers will decline this year by almost two-thirds to 14 million, the lowest number in 14 years. The country hosted a record 39.8 million foreign arrivals in 2019.

 

Thailand reported slightly over 3,100 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, largely bringing the pandemic under control in comparison to neighboring countries such as Singapore, which logged over 38,500 in the same period.

 

Thailand's property market was depressed by the 1997 Asian financial crisis, regaining momentum only in 2010. Record-breaking investments in condo projects were made in 2012 and 2013, thanks to the government's incentive for first-time house buyers.

 

From 2010 to 2018, an average of 105,000 new units debuted in Bangkok yearly, according to Bank of Ayudhya's research house Krungsri Research. But sales totaled only about 96,000 units per year, which lifted housing inventory.

 

As the pandemic hurts the country's economy, Thai developers are adopting various tactics including 50% discounts to entice buyers.

 

The condo trend "is likely to slow both in terms of supply and demand," said Risinee Sarikaputra, director of research and consultancy at Knight Frank Thailand. She said it is expected to take "another two years for the condominium market to improve."

 

Around 100,000 units remained for sale in Bangkok as of May, she said.

 

AP (Thailand), which builds the Aspire condo brand, reported a drop of over 40% in first-quarter net profit from a year ago to 618 million baht. Revenue dipped 31% to 5.4 billion baht.

 

Rival Sansiri, familiar to overseas buyers for its premium condos, saw a steeper 85% decline in net profit to 62 million baht. The company already felt the pinch last year, when it logged a mere 3 billion baht in total presales from foreign buyers, a plunge from 14 billion baht in 2018.

 

To increase liquidity as most buyers -- local and foreign -- are expected to tighten their purse strings, Sansiri recently rolled out a "pay early discount scheme" for its luxurious XT Ekkamai project.

 

The 38-story high rise developed by Sansiri and Japan's Tokyu is slated for completion in December. Buyers who opt to deliver as much as 75% of the outstanding payment can enjoy discounts of up to 12%. That means a 30-sq.-meter unit at the prime location of Ekkamai is now for sale at 4 million baht.

 

Vichai Viratkapan, acting director-general of the Real Estate Information Center, said the government could devise visa-incentive schemes for foreign buyers if they expedite their transfer of ownership of property. The center is an industry researcher under the purview of the Thai Ministry of Finance.

 

Thailand doesn't grant foreign property buyers an automatic resident visa. If these people wish to stay in the country, they need to apply for work, investment or retirement visas.

 

The "Malaysia My Second Home" program in Thailand's Southeast Asian neighbor allows foreigners a 10-year renewable residence visa, provided that they put in a minimum fixed deposit of 150,000 ringgit ($35,170) with a local bank. In October, Malaysia reduced the threshold for foreigners to buy property to 600,000 ringgit, from 1 million ringgit, hoping to ease a supply glut.

 

Bobby He, who resides in Bangkok, is taking a more cautious approach. He currently invests in only one property, where he plans to stay with his partner upon completion over the next two years.

 

"It's better to be safe than sorry," he said. "Doing homework is critical."

 

 

i waiting for them to slash price on this pleon chit development.

 

2br asking for sgd800k or so.

 

will be considered a good buy if can get it for ard sgd500k and below for now.

 

maybe can drop to 2010 level of ard sgd200k?????

 

wahahahahhaha

 

Noble Ploenchit - Ploenchit Road - Bangkok condo's for sale

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Bangkok is really getting back on its feet, this was yesterday Friday at around 10.30am at Ratchada's Central Plaza Rama 9, so early and already so busy

 

 

Had lunch at Honmono Japanese Restaurant

P1B57pV.jpg

 

Starters
VH9pjx7.jpg

 

white fish
0k6iGIR.jpg

 

Sting ray roasted
UP40sZ9.jpg

 

Grilled  fish
KeFpxVR.jpg

 

Grilled snow fish
tW3eTD0.jpg

 

Sashimi platter
1ldCh88.jpg

 

Sashimi prawn
LUuRQL3.jpg

 

 

 

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15 minutes ago, Yamato said:

Bangkok is really getting back on its feet, this was yesterday Friday at around 10.30am at Ratchada's Central Plaza Rama 9, so early and already so busy

 

 

Had lunch at Honmono Japanese Restaurant

P1B57pV.jpg

 

Starters
VH9pjx7.jpg

 

white fish
0k6iGIR.jpg

 

Sting ray roasted
UP40sZ9.jpg

 

Grilled  fish
KeFpxVR.jpg

 

Grilled snow fish
tW3eTD0.jpg

 

Sashimi platter
1ldCh88.jpg

 

Sashimi prawn
LUuRQL3.jpg

 

 

 

 

no la belle or emmanuelle or the pimp means bkk still not back!!!!!

 

haiz..................

 

Romain Bonnet (@Romain_BKK) | Twitter

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https://www.facebook.com/180940151929407/posts/3291883260835065/?d=n


The Center for #COVID19 Situation Administration has approved the fourth phase of relaxed measures and it will begin on 15 June 2020. 

 

The establishments and services that were considered in risk groups will be allowed to resume their services. Alcohol beverages are allowed to be served in restaurants. 

 

But some high-risk establishments are still not allowed to reopen, for example, pubs, bars, karaoke bars, and massage parlors, including ball houses and bouncy castles. They will remain closed for now because they have a large amount of close spacing and touching, so there is a higher risk of spreading the virus.

 

WQsdcbl.jpg

 

WGKPS3U.jpg

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Foreigners to be allowed in

'Travel bubbles' tipped for approval
PUBLISHED : 15 JUN 2020 AT 04:30

 

c1_1934696_200615061210.jpg
An expressway interchange, photographed from Baiyoke Tower II Sunday night, shows light traffic. Busy traffic is set to return after the night-time curfew was lifted from 11pm Sunday. The lifting of the curfew was published in the 'Royal Gazette'. Arnun Chonmahatrakool

 

One thousand foreign visitors are expected to be allowed entry to Thailand per day and the standard 14-day Covid-19 quarantine rule will be waived, according to an implementation plan for "travel bubbles" to be submitted for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)'s approval on Wednesday.

 

These visitors, who in the beginning will be mostly business people and patients seeking medical treatment in Thailand, must come as part of bilateral cooperation on tourism between Thailand and selected countries which have managed to contain the coronavirus, Traisuree Taisaranakul, deputy government spokeswoman, said on Sunday.

 

General foreign tourists will later be allowed to visit Thailand if the tourism promotion programme proves successful in terms of the transmission control, she said.

 

Covid-19 screening tests will be required both before the visitors leave their countries and upon arriving in Thailand, she said.

 

This, however, doesn't meant the visitors will be able to travel freely while in Thailand as they will still be prohibited from visiting certain parts of the country and will be tracked via a smart phone application, she said.

 

Final details of the programme are being discussed by the Tourism and Sports Ministry, Public Health Ministry, Interior Ministry and Foreign Ministry.

 

The CCSA had on Friday agreed in principle on the travel bubbles proposal despite objections raised by security authorities.

 

The travel bubbles programme is seen by the Tourism and Sports Ministry as the first step to safely reopen Thailand's tourism to international visitors, she said. It is hoped to help accelerate a recovery from the economic impact of the pandemic on tourism, she said.

 

Despite the CCSA's preliminary approval on the travel bubble proposal, security authorities had expressed strong objections to the idea at Friday's meeting, a source said.

 

They asked that the proposal be put on hold because it isn't certain the tourism promotion programme won't lead to a new spike of imported Covid-19 infections and possibly a new wave of local transmissions, the source said.

 

Worse still, giving privilege to these specific foreign visitors while still imposing the 14-day quarantine on Thai nationals being repatriated will likely prompt negative reaction by those Thais, the source said.

 

The source said the programme may not be welcomed by communities in Thailand's tourist destinations that are being urged by the government to strictly maintain health measures to stay free of new Covid-19 cases. It is not known if special preparations will be needed in places likely to be popular with foreign tourists.

 

According to a recent online survey on public opinion about the government's reopening policy, most Thais were concerned about the possibility of Thailand reopening the country too soon to international visitors.

 

A slight majority (54.39%) of all 1,116 respondents asked in the survey by Suan Dusit Poll, conducted on Jun 9-12, said it still wasn't time to invite international tourists back to Thailand.

 

But only 24.28% of them thought tourists should be welcomed back now for the sake of boosting the economy.

 

Most of the poll respondents also thought strict limits on the number of local tourists should be maintained at every tourist attraction across the country while domestic tourism activities resume, said the poll.

 

The top destination found in this survey was Chiang Mai and most respondents (41.40%) expected Thailand's tourism to fully recover in about a year.

 

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Friday the ministry has prepared three stimulus packages valued at 20 billion baht to kick start the tourism sector from next month until October.

 

Meanwhile, Narongchai Khunpluem, mayor of Saen Suk municipality in Chon Buri's Muang district, said those who continue to flout the ban on drinking alcohol on the beach will now face a fine after previous warnings have fallen on deaf ears.

 

"There they did it again, drinking alcohol on the beaches despite all these warnings. So they deserve to be fined, don't they?" the mayor wrote on his Facebook page.

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1934696/foreigners-to-be-allowed-in

 

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https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Thailand-s-restaurants-and-hotels-cleared-to-serve-alcohol?utm_campaign=RN%20Subscriber%20newsletter&utm_medium=daily%20newsletter&utm_source=NAR%20Newsletter&utm_content=article%20link&del_type=1&pub_date=20200615123000&seq_num=28&si=%%user_id%%


Thailand's restaurants and hotels cleared to serve alcohol
Lack of inbound tourists creates large barrier to bringing back economic growth

 

https%3A%2F%2Fs3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaw
Thailand gives the go-ahead for restaurants and hotels to start serving alcohol again, beginning June 15, when a late-night curfew will also be lifted. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerJune 12, 2020 21:24 JSTUpdated on June 13, 2020 00:11 JST

 

BANGKOK -- Diners in Thailand will again be able to enjoy traditional grilled chicken and papaya salad with a glass of cold beer at eateries as the government has decided to allow the serving of alcoholic beverages beginning Monday.

 

Restrictions on alcohol were part of the kingdom's anti-coronavirus measures that are now all but lifted as the outbreak has been brought under control.

 

An 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. curfew will also be scrapped from Monday.

 

The restored freedoms are part of a fourth round of easing proposed by the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration. The government gave its consent to the proposal on Friday, according to the Royal Gazette.

 

The round also includes the reopening of international and tutorial schools, seminars and training programs, though these businesses will be required to exercise proper hygiene. In addition, day care centers for children and the elderly can resume operations.

 

Amusement parks, playgrounds, convention centers and exhibition halls will also be allowed to reopen on Monday. So will health-oriented spas, saunas, outdoor stadiums, martial arts schools, gymnasiums and exercise facilities.

 

This is the final round of the government's four-phase plan to bring the economy back online, and the next two weeks will be an assessment period during which authorities will watch out for signs of any renewed outbreak.

 

Thailand confirmed 27 new COVID-19 cases during the seven days through Friday. All of the infections were discovered among arrivals during mandatory 14-day state quarantine procedures for those entering the country from abroad.

 

No local transmissions have been reported for 18 days now.

 

Restrictions were first imposed in March in an effort to contain local transmissions of the novel coronavirus.

 

The first easing phase began on May 3, when restaurants were allowed to accept dine-in customers, though all diners had to sit apart to maintain social distancing requirements and refrain from drinking alcohol.

 

Round 2 came on May 17, when shopping malls reopened, though shoppers have had to log in so as to enable contact tracing.

 

On June 1, massage salons were allowed to reopen as long as they close every two hours for cleaning.

 

Although the curfew is also being lifted, the country's state of emergency will remain in place until the end of June.

 

While all four rounds of the phase-in have been approved, some businesses and activities that gave rise to clusters in the early days of Thailand's outbreak remain closed and banned as the government remains cautious.

 

These businesses include pubs, bars and nightclubs. In March, a pub in Bangkok that attracted Thais and tourists from Hong Kong gave rise to one of Thailand's first clusters.

 

Professional sports will get the go-ahead but spectators will not. Many fans at a Thai kickboxing event at the army-owned Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in March spread the virus to one another as they screamed and cheered.

 

According to the cabinet's advisory National Security Council, 95% of businesses and activities will be unrestricted on Monday.

 

But the Thai economy will still be missing its biggest engine, foreign tourists. Tourism accounts for broadly 20% of the kingdom's gross domestic product. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has a landing ban in place for all incoming international flights, excluding repatriation flights for Thais, until the end of June.

 

Thailand plans to strike up bilateral deals with Asia-Pacific nations and territories to resume flows of first business travelers and eventually tourists. Such agreements would open so-called "travel bubbles." Destinations within these bubbles would allow travelers to forego 14-day quarantines at each end. "Once the situation improves," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on June 2, "we'll allow travel between countries that we have an agreement with."

 

Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesperson of the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration, said Friday that the kingdom is considering travel bubbles with China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand, and some countries in the Middle East. Further talks with some of these countries are expected at an online Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit on June 26.

 

The Thai government is also rolling out a series of measures to help Thais get back on their feet. It has introduced cash handouts for informal workers to support consumption. It also seeks to dole out travel coupons to Thais to boost domestic tourism.

 

These steps will not be enough to pull the Thai economy out of a contraction, however. Earlier this month, Kasikorn Research Center lowered its economic growth projection from a 5% contraction to 6% negative growth.

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1 hour ago, Yamato said:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Thailand-s-restaurants-and-hotels-cleared-to-serve-alcohol?utm_campaign=RN%20Subscriber%20newsletter&utm_medium=daily%20newsletter&utm_source=NAR%20Newsletter&utm_content=article%20link&del_type=1&pub_date=20200615123000&seq_num=28&si=%%user_id%%


Thailand's restaurants and hotels cleared to serve alcohol
Lack of inbound tourists creates large barrier to bringing back economic growth

 

https%3A%2F%2Fs3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaw
Thailand gives the go-ahead for restaurants and hotels to start serving alcohol again, beginning June 15, when a late-night curfew will also be lifted. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerJune 12, 2020 21:24 JSTUpdated on June 13, 2020 00:11 JST

 

BANGKOK -- Diners in Thailand will again be able to enjoy traditional grilled chicken and papaya salad with a glass of cold beer at eateries as the government has decided to allow the serving of alcoholic beverages beginning Monday.

 

Restrictions on alcohol were part of the kingdom's anti-coronavirus measures that are now all but lifted as the outbreak has been brought under control.

 

An 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. curfew will also be scrapped from Monday.

 

The restored freedoms are part of a fourth round of easing proposed by the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration. The government gave its consent to the proposal on Friday, according to the Royal Gazette.

 

The round also includes the reopening of international and tutorial schools, seminars and training programs, though these businesses will be required to exercise proper hygiene. In addition, day care centers for children and the elderly can resume operations.

 

Amusement parks, playgrounds, convention centers and exhibition halls will also be allowed to reopen on Monday. So will health-oriented spas, saunas, outdoor stadiums, martial arts schools, gymnasiums and exercise facilities.

 

This is the final round of the government's four-phase plan to bring the economy back online, and the next two weeks will be an assessment period during which authorities will watch out for signs of any renewed outbreak.

 

Thailand confirmed 27 new COVID-19 cases during the seven days through Friday. All of the infections were discovered among arrivals during mandatory 14-day state quarantine procedures for those entering the country from abroad.

 

No local transmissions have been reported for 18 days now.

 

Restrictions were first imposed in March in an effort to contain local transmissions of the novel coronavirus.

 

The first easing phase began on May 3, when restaurants were allowed to accept dine-in customers, though all diners had to sit apart to maintain social distancing requirements and refrain from drinking alcohol.

 

Round 2 came on May 17, when shopping malls reopened, though shoppers have had to log in so as to enable contact tracing.

 

On June 1, massage salons were allowed to reopen as long as they close every two hours for cleaning.

 

Although the curfew is also being lifted, the country's state of emergency will remain in place until the end of June.

 

While all four rounds of the phase-in have been approved, some businesses and activities that gave rise to clusters in the early days of Thailand's outbreak remain closed and banned as the government remains cautious.

 

These businesses include pubs, bars and nightclubs. In March, a pub in Bangkok that attracted Thais and tourists from Hong Kong gave rise to one of Thailand's first clusters.

 

Professional sports will get the go-ahead but spectators will not. Many fans at a Thai kickboxing event at the army-owned Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in March spread the virus to one another as they screamed and cheered.

 

According to the cabinet's advisory National Security Council, 95% of businesses and activities will be unrestricted on Monday.

 

But the Thai economy will still be missing its biggest engine, foreign tourists. Tourism accounts for broadly 20% of the kingdom's gross domestic product. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has a landing ban in place for all incoming international flights, excluding repatriation flights for Thais, until the end of June.

 

Thailand plans to strike up bilateral deals with Asia-Pacific nations and territories to resume flows of first business travelers and eventually tourists. Such agreements would open so-called "travel bubbles." Destinations within these bubbles would allow travelers to forego 14-day quarantines at each end. "Once the situation improves," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on June 2, "we'll allow travel between countries that we have an agreement with."

 

Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesperson of the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration, said Friday that the kingdom is considering travel bubbles with China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand, and some countries in the Middle East. Further talks with some of these countries are expected at an online Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit on June 26.

 

The Thai government is also rolling out a series of measures to help Thais get back on their feet. It has introduced cash handouts for informal workers to support consumption. It also seeks to dole out travel coupons to Thais to boost domestic tourism.

 

These steps will not be enough to pull the Thai economy out of a contraction, however. Earlier this month, Kasikorn Research Center lowered its economic growth projection from a 5% contraction to 6% negative growth.

 

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Thailand fights to revive reputation as top tourist destination

COVID-19 tracing measures and troubled Thai Airways' cloud tourism revival

 

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Travelers wearing face masks are seen at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thailand wants to create "travel corridors" or "travel bubbles" with certain countries, including China, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)

 

MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR, Asia regional correspondentJune 15, 2020 17:39 JST

 

BANGKOK -- A leading business hotel in Bangkok is sprucing up rooms, restaurants and hallways to meet new hygiene and safety standards as it prepares to welcome the first trickle of regular customers -- foreign airline crews -- in August.

 

"This is now a priority, including deep cleaning of our ventilator and air conditioning systems," said Marisa Sukosol, executive vice president of Sukosol hotels, which owns five properties in the Thai capital and in Pattaya, a seaside resort southeast of the city. "We have a loyal market, like airline crews from South Korea, and we need to be ready for them."

 

The government has encouraged the preparations after warming to "tourism bubbles" between Bangkok and select Asian cities to revive a travel industry battered by the coronavirus pandemic. Countries on an emerging shortlist for these new air bridges are China, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, all of which have largely contained the spread of COVID-19, just as Thailand has.

 

Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the tourism minister, has hinted that the welcome mat will first be rolled out to business travelers and patients arriving as medical travelers when airports open in July for international travel. This plan includes limiting the number of foreign arrivals to 1,000 per day. But even then, the thorny -- and lifesaving -- issue of imposing a 14-day quarantine on new arrivals remains unresolved.

 

Seasoned travel industry observers say that "travel corridors" or "travel bubbles," which other Asian countries such as China, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam, among others, are also pursuing, has raised the stakes of mutual trust in ongoing talks. "Some of those discussions are bilateral, while others are looking at multilateral agreements," said Mario Hardy, chief executive officer of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, a Bangkok-based industry network.

 

"Setting up a 'corridor' or 'bubble' is complex and requires a high level of trust and coordination between respective health authorities," he added. "This would also require a range of various health controls to be implemented at border control."

 

Not surprisingly, this shift toward "tourism bubbles" has brought into focus privacy concerns and data protection in a region peppered with governments that are authoritarian or military-backed, such as the Thai regime. Western governments are keeping an eye on the "enforceable privacy protection safeguards" for people in the new environment.

 

"Whether it is within a 'tourist bubble' or after fully reopening travel, collecting additional traveler information relating to their movements, contacts and their health status clearly raises sensitive issues," said a senior diplomat from a Western country based in a Southeast Asian capital. "Once a covid infection is detected, the affected persons as well as their contacts will have to forego their anonymity, including highly sensitive information on their respective health status."

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand, a government body, has come up with its own way to win the trust of inbound travelers: rebrand Southeast Asia's second-largest economy as a "trusted" tourist destination. To this end, it is backing a health certification system the government has rolled out for hotels and restaurants as a "tool to build trust."

 

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The Thai government is encouraging the public to continue wearing masks and observe social distancing as the country tries to jump start its tourism sector. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)

 

Thailand has eased restrictions in the country on the back of its success to contain the spread of COVID-19. By this week, the government will permit hotels to fully open, restaurants to serve alcohol and organizers to host government and private seminars and meetings. This adds to a list of public places that have already opened, ranging from shopping malls and public parks to tourist attractions and beaches.

 

Public health authorities are playing up the absence of no new locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 for nearly three weeks. Thailand has reported 3,135 infections and 58 deaths since the pandemic struck. Still, the government wants the public to wear face masks and maintain social distancing.

 

COVID-19 delivered a harsh blow to a sector that has become a key economic driver in Thailand, accounting for nearly 20% of gross domestic product. In April and May, Thailand recorded no new tourist arrivals, an unprecedented slump. Consequently, Phiphat, the tourism minister, estimates that the tourism sector could lose 1.78 trillion baht ($57.3 billion) in 2020 because of disruptions to foreign travel.

 

By contrast, during the record-breaking year in 2019, Thailand attracted nearly 40 million foreign holidaymakers, confirming its position as the market leader in mass tourism in Southeast Asia. The largest flow was from China, with nearly 11 million. Others among the top 10 inbound markets were Malaysia, Japan, Russia, South Korea and India.

 

But Thailand will not be able to establish "tourism bubbles" for all of them, travel industry analysts say. "The major inbound markets like India and Russia are still struggling to contain COVID-19, so it is unlikely you will see travelers from these countries soon," said Imtiaz Muqbil, executive editor of Travel Impact Newswire, which specializes in the tourism sector across Southeast Asia. "The so-called 'quality' tourists -- the high-spenders from the Middle East, who were an important market for Thai tourism -- also face a slowdown because of the slump in oil prices and the downturn in those economies."

 

Likewise, the tourism revival plans face headwinds from the fate of debt-burdened Thai Airways, which travel industry sources say flies in close to 40% of the country's traffic. The national carrier is due to undergo a bankruptcy-court supervised restructuring.

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Visited a big McDonald restaurant this morning at the north of Bangkok

 

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Very nice outdoor dining

 

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Counters with shields

 

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McCafe

 

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Bright and cheerful decors

 

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Notice the stickers on social distancing seating

 

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Pump your own sauces

 

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Breakfast

 

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