June 18, 2021 Thai Enquirer Summary Covid-19 News Today the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) is set to make the call on the much awaited details about the ‘Phuket Sandbox’. Despite the planned opening on July 1st there is much confusion on what the details are. The CCSA will also consider the plan to open Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao in Surat Thani under the “Samui sealed route”, a plan to restart international tourism from July 1 in parallel with the pilot Phuket Sandbox scheme as proposed by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. In addition to discussing the Phuket Sandbox policy today, Gen Prayut will also consider easing restrictions enforced in Bangkok, including allowing people to sit and eat in restaurants as normal. After the CCSA meeting which will be chaired by 2014 coup leader – Prayut Chan-ocha, the incumbent Prime Minister is set to travel to Phuket on June 25th to see if the planned opening is still on track or not for quarantine free travel. To make matters worse, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been calling for the country to open its doors to foreign tourism, has come out to say that he feel that the country needs to get its people vaccinated before it opens its doors to foreign tourists. “How is the prime minister going to do it with his current vaccine program, it is good (to open) but as the prime minister you can't say (you will open) and then not do it,” Thaksin said during the question & answer session in a ClubHouse talk late last night. “But if he is able to do it, then I have to chom churn (applaud) him,” Thaksin added. Before the statement by Thaksin, the opposition Pheu Thai party came out to blast Gen Prayut. The party believes the reopening dilemma between saving the economy and people’s lives as it cast doubt on whether the government will get the country’s outbreak under control or will be able to 105.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine will be delivered this year as promised by the general, Pheu Thai Party spokeswoman Arunee Kasayanond said. To complicate the issue, Phuket’s own claims of vaccinated population seems to be sending confusing messages. Phuket’s readiness to welcome vaccinated foreign visitors is still in question, a report has come out that Phuket officials have claimed that about 74% of people on the island have received at least 1 vaccination injection in the mass vaccination campaign across the island. Phuket’s population figures my be tweaked to show higher vaccination figures (so claims this article - https://www.thephuketnews.com/officials-change-definition- of-population-of-phuket-claim-island-74-vaccinated-80369.php). In the article it states that On Mar 10 Phuket had about 600,000 people, comprising 417,000 people registered as permanent residents in the civil registration database, 100,000 people from other provinces, and 81,000 foreigners and migrant workers. At that point it was expected that vaccination will be administer to about 77.6% [about 465,600] of people living in Phuket, to be able to open to welcome foreign tourists. But in the latest announcement on the Public Relations Dept. website the number of residents are down by more than 133,000 to a mere 466,587 Despite all the potential concerns about the opening of the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ and the 118 days before the country’s reopening on October 14, 2021 Major companies have hailed the country’s reopening plan within 118 (from 120) days as a good sign for an economic recovery. Sansiri Plc President Srettha Thavisin hailed the Prime Minister’s reopening pledge as a good sign for the economy in parallel with the Thai public health management. He praised Gen Prayut for setting a clear goal and speeding up the country’s readiness for the reopening. This is a good sign for the private sector and small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the key driver to the country’s economic development, the Sansiri boss said. William Heinecke, chairman of Minor International Plc (MINT), issued a statement to praise and support Gen Prayut’s reopening plan within 120 days. Heinecke said Gen Prayut’s announcement echoed his strong determination in an attempt to provide remedy to the private sector and businesses affected by the outbreak. VACCINE Rollout Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has come out to say that it has received 35,000 bottles of AstraZeneca vaccines late yesterday which could help inoculate 350,000 to 420,000 people (10-12 doses per bottle). BMA said that it would inoculate those who were left behind by the Mor Prom (age group of 60+ and have pre-existing conditions) as a priority. The rest would go to the Thai Ruam Jai registrants (age group of 18-59) Another allocation of 1 million doses is expected to arrive later next week. The number of people vaccinated in the country is barely reached 7% of the total inoculation target of 100 million doses by the end of the year. At the current rate of inoculation, the country would need to inoculate close to 500,000 people per day to achieve the target. On June 16th just 222,967 doses (less than 45% of the target) were administered throughout Thailand The good news is that some areas in the country has higher inoculation than others (as of June 17, 2021) Province Total Inoculation Inoculation of People >60 Phuket 46.6% 35.3% Ranong 14.1% 18.5% Samut Sakorn 13.2% 19.8% Bangkok 12.9% 10.4% Phangna 9.7% 13.4% Tak 9.1% 9.7% Nonthaburi 8.9% 7.4% Surat Thani 6.9% 6.0% Buriram 6.6% 3.4% Samut Prakarn 6.4% 7.4% The other good news is the fact that people are lining up for vaccination and the lines seen at Bang Sue station is a testament to the need for people who are looking to get vaccinated. The bad news is that the week of the opening of schools has also seen some schools being hit by the virus. The 1st week of school term opening has seen some infections Mahasarakham sees children from kindergarten upwards infected with the virus As many as 9 kids (age 9-10) were infected. All schools in Mahasarakham have been shut or gone online Chiang Rai also children infected with the virus 18 children from the age of 9 to 17 were infected. Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra during a ClubHouse discussion yesterday took a shot at Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul when question was raised on what he thinks about Anutin and his mismanagement. Thaksin said “People in the ministry like him when he was deputy minister at MoPH during my time, but since he became minister, he is not the Anuthin we knew.” “He only agrees with PM and doesn't give his opinion, so there is a glitch as the people at MoPH are being underutilized.” “The vaccines program is the most ridiculous thing that has happened to Thailand.” “He (Anutin) has been promoting SinoVac to a point that he forgot Sino Thai.” FYI – Sino Thai Engineering & Construction Plc (STEC) is a company that is owned by the family of Anutin. Political News All eyes are on Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Thamanat Prompow who is predicted to take over the Phalang Pracharat Party (PPRP)’s general secretary post at the party’s annual general assembly (AGM) in Khon Kaen today. It is said that the PPRP’s AGM will see the restructuring of the party marked by an overhaul of its executive board. According to media predictions, Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan will remain as the party leader but have only 4 deputy leaders on his side. The strongest candidates are Suriya Jungrungreangkit, Santi Prompat, Wirat Rattanaseth and Paiboon Nititawan while Capt Thamanat is tipped as the party’s secretary-general, replacing Anucha Nakhasai. Meanwhile, Anucha himself came out to deny reports that he had tendered his resignation as the PPRP secretary-general. He said the report is just rampant speculation. The decision for him to keep his post resists with the party leader and members of the executive board. Anucha confirmed his plan to attend the AGM today but denied that the party’s restructuring is on top of the meeting agenda as he said there has been no sign from the party leader. Anucha’s statement contradicts Suriya’s and Somsak’s statement that the party needs restructuring. Suriya and Somsak claimed after seeking a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, as the PPRP leader, yesterday. It is speculated that Somsak will rise as the PPRP’s new strategic chairman, the post held by Gen Prawit prior to taking the party’s helm. The AGM is expected to be attended by 120 members from Nakhon Ratchasima and 250 from Khon Kaen. The Phalang Pracharat Party (PPRP)’s annual general assembly scheduled today has wreaked havoc a meeting of the House’s committee vetting the budget bill yesterday since vetting panel members on the government side are said to ready themselves to attend the AGM in Khon Kaen today. The issue of attendance of members in the House’s committee vetting the budget bill for the 2022 fiscal year came into focus during the committee’s meeting yesterday after Pheu Thai members who sit on the committee witness a lack of attendance among government MPs from the PPRP. Yutthapong Jarassathian, a Pheu Thai Party MP for Mahasarakham, and Jirayu Huangsap, as members of the House committee vetting the budget bill for the next fiscal year, decried an absence of PPRP MPs, causing the meeting to be cancelled due to a lack of quorum.