June 8, 2021 Thai Enquirer Summary Covid-19 News The Public Health Ministry hailed the 1st day of the delayed mass vaccination drive against Covid-19 as a success with more than 300,000 people receiving anti-Covid vaccines although it was far short of the numbers needed to reach the 100 million doses by the end of the year. Despite all the pomp and show, the total vaccination as of yesterday was at just over 351,000 shots but the need is to have more than 461,019 per day until the end of the year to achieve the 100 million doses that is planned. As of 17:00 hrs on June 7, 2021. As for Bangkok, yesterday the vaccination in Bangkok was at a mere 12,500 doses but what is needed is 84,000 per day to achieve the goals set. The Department of Disease Control (DDC) said yesterday’s vaccination tally has brought the total of doses administered to date to more than 4.5 million. However, hospitals in some provinces experienced an acute shortage of vaccines such as in Nakhon Pathom and Samut Prakan where several hospitals suspended vaccinations indefinitely after June 7. Sutthawan Suban Na Ayudhya, Move Forward MP for Nakhon Pathom, said she learned from doctors in some Nakhon Pathom hospitals that their hospitals do not have enough vaccines to administer to those who booked for jabs on June 7, prompting some hospitals to suspend jabs after June 8 and June 9. Moreover, none of 14 hospitals in the province have sufficient supplies of vaccines that will last for 14 days. DDC chief Opas Karnkawinpong defended the shortage as he explained that some areas may encounter problems with hospitals postponing vaccination appointments because the number of bookings exceeds their vaccine quota. He apologised to those who did not get the vaccination on the scheduled date. To see list of more hospitals throughout the country that postponed vaccinations due to shortages, readers can go to https://www.thaienquirer.com/28234/list-of- hospitals-throughout-thailand-postponing-covid-19-vaccinations-due-to- shortages/ Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus, opened its vaccination centre on the 1st day yesterday and expects to inoculate at least 3,000 people a day, according to INNNews. The site which has been set up at the university’s Gymnasium 4 Building is expected to offer vaccination services to the public without any day off from June 2021 to the end of this year. Public Health Minister – Anutin Charnvirakul, came out to say that the ministry has already started an investigation into an announcement by a hospitals that has come out with postponement. This comes despite some hospital only getting 1 bottle of AstraZeneca which is only for about 10 doses although 1,000’s registered in Nakorn Pathom. Anutin says that there is no delay in the vaccination plans and asked all hospitals that have postponed to retract. People should only listen to the Ministry of Public Health and not the doctors To this the doctors have come out to say that if a minister does not know what he is talking about then the minister should better keep his mouth shut. The B.1.617.2 variant or so called ‘Indian Variant’ has now been renamed ‘Delta Variant’ is become the most-deadly variant around the world and more than 200 of the cases in Bangkok yesterday was from this variant. A total of 235 ‘Delta’ variant were found yesterday in Thailand in 10 provinces with Bangkok being the highest. Today’s number of infection stands at 2,662 and death at 28 Yesterday Bangkok saw 6 new clusters of more than 500 cases, 16 reported between 100- 499 cases and 31 clusters have less than 100 cases. The 6 clusters that have reported more than 500 cases include the At the Khlong Toei Market and 41 crowded communities in the district Area around Maha Nak Intersection and Maha Nak Market in Dusit Italian-Thai Development’s worker camp in Khlong Toei, Klong Thom Center and nearby areas, The Mall Bang Kapi and Bang Kapi Market, Sino-Thai’s construction site in Dusit. Of the 47 remaining clusters, 13 were found in worker camps, 12 around markets and shopping centres, 11 in crowded communities and residential areas, nine at businesses and factories, one at care homes and one at the Pakistan Embassy. As the government has been scrambling to source more vaccine, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday announced that his government had ordered 20 million doses of Pfizer and 5 million Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine apart from this, another 8 million doses of SinoVac are expected to be in the pipeline. The delivery date has yet to be confirmed as the Prime Minister said he would revealed the date once negotiations with the manufacturers are complete. The 2014 coup leader and incumbent Prime Minister Prayut has for the 1st time come out to ask for forgiveness as there are lots of people as people continue to remain unhappy with the vaccine procurement of this government. Meanwhile, the Private Hospital Association has set the median price for vaccination with the Moderna jab at 1,900 baht per dose or 3,800 baht for the full 2-dose inoculation. The vaccine will be purchased through the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), with delivery expected around October. The price for the Moderna jab will be the same at all hospitals. Economic News The Centre for Economic Situation Administration (CESA)’s meeting chaired by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha approved a proactive plan to draw 4 groups of foreigners to boost investment. The 4 groups targeted by the CESA to help the government achieve its goal of promoting investment, tourism and stimulate domestic consumption to help the government meet the target of achieving 4% economic growth for this year and next year. The 4 targeted groups are: 1) Wealthy global citizens under the flexible plus program 2) Wealthy retirees 3) Work from Thailand professionals 4) High-skilled professionals. The CESA has set the condition that these target groups of foreigners wanting to stay in Thailand must have at least US$100,000 in health insurance throughout a 10-year visa stay, according to a Government House source. The CESA meeting also approved in principle other conditions on the latest investment measures including a plan to allow high-income foreigners to enjoy a long-stay visa for up to 10 years, own land and property, and pay a 17% personal income tax on local earnings are yet to be settled. On the proposed tax reduction, it is said that the Finance Ministry has voiced opposition, particularly to the 17% tax rate on local earnings, claiming such a tax cut will affect the government’s revenue collection. Seven international airlines are set to operate direct flights from Europe to Phuket from July 1. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said 7 international airlines have confirmed its readiness to fly direct to Phuket from July 1 onwards when the Phuket Sandbox Model is implemented. These airlines are British Airways Cathay Pacific El Al Israel Airlines Air France Etihad Airways Qatar Airways Emirates. The TAT estimated the island to receive 129,000 foreign visitors in the 3rd quarter of this year. As restaurant continue to remain closed, a restaurant has come out to post on its social media that it can’t take this anymore and is selling its chairs and tables for as low as 10 baht a piece and that it was now going to close until a new government is in power. Investor confidence in financial markets for the 3 months ahead has risen slightly due to optimism over the country’s mass vaccination programme coupled with a domestic economic recovery and foreign fund inflows. The Thai Capital Market Organisations (Fetco) reported that its investor confidence index rose to 126.4 following a drop to 124.37 in April, when the latest, more severe outbreak emerged, citing a May survey. Factors that dragged down investor confidence are the current outbreak situation in the 3rd wave, international conflicts and the next meeting of the Central Bank’s rate setters scheduled for June 23. Krung Thai Bank (KTB) has come under heavy fire for exposing information of users posted on the “Pao Tang” application. The bank was accused of disclosing and sharing personal information to outsiders including insurance companies without consent from users. In the latest, KTB has issued a statement, explaining that the use of information involving products, financial services and partners for analysis which complies with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). It said the information is used by the Bank to analyse and develop products and services that meet the needs of users of the “Pao Tang” app. It said users can choose to give their consent or to “not agree” without affecting the use of the app, but if all the answers are ‘No’ then the application does not allow the user to register. The Senate yesterday voted unanimously in favour of an executive decree which amended the Civil and Commercial Code to prevent creditors from charging unfair interest rates by abusing ambiguities in the old law. The Senate voted 201-0 in favour, with 5 abstentions, in support of the amendment of the Civil and Commercial Code on the reduction of default interest rates. Some creditors have forced debtors who missed a repayment to pay interest on top of the principal amount owed, as the old law did not set out the default rate. The amended law sets the interest rate at 3% a year and decreases the default rate from 7.5% a year to 5% a year.