THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 2021 thephuketnews thephuketnews1 thephuketnews.com Friday, March 12 – Thursday, March 18, 2021 Since 2011 / Volume XI / No. 11 20 Baht TOURISM MINISTRY PUSHES VACCINE PASSPORTS > PAGE 2 NEWS PAGE 3 Noisy nightclub ordered closed CONFIDENCE for five years BOOST LIFE PAGE 9 Baz honours Duane Lennie: ‘Mr Koh Lanta’ Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon receives his first Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine injection on Monday (Mar 8), his first day as the new Chief of the Phuket Provincial Health Office. Photo: PPHO SPORT PAGE 16 HOPE FLOATS FOR TOURISM AS SHORTER QUARANTINE Yan loses UFC NOW LIKELY FOR VACCINATED ARRIVALS title following haps as short as three days. by the CCSA board, chaired by PM period as early as next month even The Phuket News disqualification [email protected] The news broke on Monday (Mar Prayut, at its meeting on Monday for arrivals who have not been vac- 8) as assistant spokeswoman for (Mar 15), she said. cinated for COVID-19. (See page 7.) opes are high that come Mon- the Centre for COVID-19 Situation “The quarantine period will be Currently, all arrivals in Thai- day (Mar 15) Prime Minister Administration (CCSA) Apisamai different from those who are not land – whether vaccinated or not HPrayut Chan-o-cha will an- Srirangson announced that CCSA vaccinated,” Dr Apisamai noted. – must observe a mandatory 14-day nounce that foreign tourists who have officials “favoured” Oct 1 for the eas- “Travel from overseas would be quarantine. been vaccinated for COVID-19 will ing of restrictions on travellers who easier,” she added. Dr Apisamai said the board meet- be required to observe a much shorter have been given an approved vaccine. In addition, moves are also afoot ing next week would also discuss mandatory quarantine period – per- The final decision would be made to reduce the mandatory quarantine the possible lifting of the emergency... CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 @thephuketnews 2 PHUKET NEWS THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 2021 [email protected] Thief slashes German expat News in Karon > p4 Vaccine push vital for Oct 1 Continued from page 1 understand that private sector on this. The other source is ...decree at the end of May, help is needed in order to vac- to purchase the vaccine by and reliance on communicable cinate enough people quickly ourselves. But we have to disease laws to contain the enough to safely reopen Phuket see how many vaccines we virus from June. to receiving international receive from the government The Oct 1 deadline coin- tourists by Oct 1. before we can know how much cides with the #PhuketFirst- “The number of vaccines to order.” October campaign launched is not enough for 70% of the Time is of the essence, in January by a consortium Phuket population, so we have Mr Bhummikitti noted. The of key tourism and other in- to wait and see how many vaccination rollout must be dustry figures on the island, vaccines from AstraZeneca coordinated so that operators spearheaded by Phuket Tourist we will receive in June to could start marketing and Association president Bhum- September. We need to pro- promoting travel to Phuket to mikitti Raktaengam. Until pose the number of vaccines markets abroad so that tourists now, the campaign seemed that we need to the central know what will be required to have fallen on deaf ears. government,” he told The if they chose to travel here. However, a key require- Phuket News. “We have a lot of things ment of the #PhuketFirstOc- “We have been in constant to do, such as marketing and tober campaign is that at least contact with a few vaccine organising flights to Phuket, 70% of the island’s residents importers. At this stage it and so on. We will meet with must be vaccinated in time Vachira Hospital Director Dr Chalermpong Sukontaphon speaks to the press. Photo: PPHO looks like we might be able to ‘big operators’ in Phuket soon, to provide “herd immunity” determine how many of which in order to see and understand from the virus as a way to Without private sector help, vaccine doses in Phuket ex- Phuket or Bangkok have yet types of vaccines will come the demand from Europe,” safely allow foriegn tourists the Oct 1 deadline is simply plained, “In the next delivery, provided any details on the after Songkran,” he added. he said. to return by reducing the quar- not achievable, they say. At we will receive 16,000 doses country reaching anywhere In order to reopen Phuket Mr Bhummikitti also antine period for international the time of going to press, no of vaccine, and another 48,000 near herd immunity by Oct 1. to international tourists by Oct pointed out that a recent survey visitors – while maintaining Phuket or Bangkok officials doses will come in May. In Dr Chalermpong last week 1, Mr Bhummikitti said, “Basi- had indicated that a staggering confidence among local people had made any announcement total, for the first three months, said the delivery of AstraZen- cally, we have a lot of things 80% of all tourism-related that they themselves are not regarding how this was to be we will receive 68,000 doses eca vaccines will not arrive to do. Vaccination is one of businesses in Phuket have being exposed to high risk. achieved. of vaccine.” until “around June to August”. the most important. To open closed their doors at least Mr Bhummikitti and oth- At last report, as of Mar That will be enough to He also confirmed that the island to tourists without temporarily to ride out the er strong supporters of the 1, Phuket had so far received vaccinate just 34,000 people even with all Phuket public any quarantine, we have to storm. #PhuketFirstOctober campaign just 4,000 doses of the Sino- in Phuket, which has an es- hospitals administering vac- vaccinate local people as much “Before the second out- have repeatedly emphasised vac vaccine, all dedicated to timated population of circa cination injections, the most as we can, about 70% of the break about 35-40% of the that in order for enough Phuket inoculating medical workers, 400,000 people. the hospitals could achieve population. We have already hotels on the island were open, residents to be vaccinated to frontline staff dealing with Although Health Minis- would be about 1,500 people received 68,000 doses, but but after the second wave hit safely start receiving foreign the general public and those ter Anutin Charnvirakul on a day. we need about 900,000 doses. our survey found that only tourists, private organisations, specifically at higher risk of Monday said that first rollout That pushes herd immunity “To fill the gap between about 20% of hotels are still including hospitals, must be al- infection. of 117,000 doses of the Astra- inoculation for Phuket back to 68,000 and 900,000, we have open,” he said. lowed to independently source Vachira Phuket Hospital zeneca vaccine was to start late November at the earliest. two sources. One is the gov- “More hotels will gradually large quantities of vaccines Director Dr Chalermpong yesterday (Mar 11) with PM Mr Bhummikitti is hold- ernment. We have to see how re-open, but the number of ho- that have been approved by Sukontapol in announcing the Prayut as the first recipient ing on to the prospect that the many doses [of vaccine] they tels that are temporarily closed the central government. arrival of the 4,000 Sinovac (see page 7), no officials in central government will finally will give us. We are working at this stage is about 80%.” Tourism Ministry pushes vaccine passport system to skip quarantine THE TOURISM AND SPORTS Administration (CCSA) was also Then, they will be allowed to travel it will be used as an example for Ministry has asked the Public discussing a 14-day quarantine freely through the quarantine area. other hotels across the country to Health Ministry for approval to that would allow foreign tourists The plan will be operated via accept foreign tourists launch a vaccine passport system to leave their hotel rooms after just 29 travel agencies supervised by “Thank you to all the officers in a bid to kick-start the tourism three days of self-isolation. the Tourism Authority of Thailand involved for their cooperation in industry this year. Mr Phiphat also said the gov- (TAT), he added. making everything done very Russian tourists in Phuket ernment has unveiled its “area quickly, from the identification- will likely be the first to expe- quarantine” plan to re-open Thai- TESTED checking process, whereby we had rience the eased quarantine re- land to foreign tourists from next The “area quarantine” has already received the information before strictions. Tour agents in Russia month. been tested in Phuket with the the tourists arrived on the island, say demand is high enough for Tourism Minister Phiphat Mr Phiphat said area quarantine arrival on Feb 21 of Phuket’s first all the way through to taking the regular Phuket flights of 300-400 Ratchakitprakarn said adopting will be piloted in five provinces ‘travel bubble’ tourists, who ob- tourists to the hotel,” he said. Russian tourists, reported state a vaccine passport or a similar popular with foreign tourists – served a 14-day ‘villa quarantine’ V/Gov Pichet in his report also method of enabling foreign news agency NNT last week tourists to skip quarantine would Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Surat at the five-star Sri Panwa resort on pointed out the requirements for Tourism Minister Phiphat guarantee at least 5 million Thani and Chon Buri.