Thai News

The Thai Government has given permission for this year's Songkran Festival to go ahead.

Now Pattaya's mayor Sontaya Khunpluem has been speaking of what wil be allowed in Pattaya.

Sontaya was keen to play up the importance of spurring tourism and the economy now that the vaccination program has started.

He outlined the cultural activities that would go ahead including a ceremony to honor older people at Wat Chaimongkhol and Kong Khao rice giving ceremonies to honor the departed at Photina Klua and Wat Nong Yai. He said that all events will be subject to mask wearing, temperature and social distancing protocols.

He said that an organising committee and associated individuals were in charge and said that what form any water splashing would take remains to be decided.

Foreigners seeking to enter Thailand require a document from their local Thai embassy called a Certificate Of Entry. The onerous process of obtaining this document now requires them to download and install an invasive snooping app called ThailandPlus prior to their arrival.

The app uses GPS to track movements and a Bluetooth proximity algorithm to detect contacts with covid carriers.

The whereabouts of all tourists with the app installed will be known throughout their stay and allow authorities to immediately round them up and no doubt incarcerate should they come in contact with a covid case. No doubt the facility will also be used for locating visa overstayers and the like.

 

Update: On at all times...even short times?

25th February 2021. See Government instructions from tatnews.org

After downloading the ThailandPlus application from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, travellers are required to enable the GPS and accept the privacy policy. After that, a recent (not more than one month old) profile photo needs to be uploaded before inputting the COE number and reference ID obtained from the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General. Once all data is verified as correct, the system will direct travellers to the QR code page where they can begin using @the application.

Travellers will need to keep the ThailandPlus application on all the time, as they move to different locations around the country. Businesses throughout Thailand prominently display QR codes that are required for check-in and check-out scanning. This includes all types of accommodation, restaurants, shopping centres, and tourism attractions, to mention just a few examples.

In the event that travellers are in close contact with any confirmed COVID-19 cases, they will be notified and offered 'recommendations'.

Update: Thailand salivates over using apps to control people's movements

1st March 2021. See article from forum.thaivisa.com

 The Thai government is inevitably keen on mandating vaccine passports for entry into Thailand but why stop there?

Thai news site, The Standard is debating whether such a document could be mandated to enter places where large numbers of people congregate in close proximity, (or no doubt where a couple of people congregate in very close proximity).

That would mean the entertainment industry and sporting events as The Standard pointed out. So it might be necessary to hold a document to go to a pub, beer bar or disco in the future.

The article did not say that this was yet being mulled in Thailand but it appears that all suggestions are currently on the table.

The Standard noted that Israel has already issued a Green Pass that is a kind of vaccine passport (VP) that appears to be for internal use.

Thailand has committed to give everyone in the country - including expats and migrant workers - vaccinations against COVID-19.

Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) deputy spokesperson Apisamai Srirangsan said that everyone living in Thailand, including foreigners, will be able to receive the vaccine.

Thailand will receive its first batch of vaccines on February 24, with those deemed to be most at risk the first to be inoculated. People working in the tourism or service sectors or those that are likely to come in contact with foreign tourists would be vaccinated in phase 2 from May. Expats and foreign workers are likely to be vaccinated in phase 3 from June.

Dr Apisamai also said that the private sector will be able to procure its own vaccines, providing the vaccines have approval from the regulatory authorities.

Thailand is considering increasing the length of time some travellers will be required to spend in quarantine, the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has announced.

According to CCSA spokesperson, Dr Apisamai Srirangsan, the proposal is to help limit the spread of the more contagious South African strain of the coronavirus. On Sunday, Thailand reported its first case of the South African strain, confirmed in a Thai national who had recently entered quarantine having travelled back from Tanzania.

The proposed increase in quarantine will initially apply to people travelling to Thailand from Africa, but could also be applied to other travellers from elsewhere.

A forest is coming to downtown Bangkok with the opening of the Suan Pa Benjakitti park. This will be known as the Benjakitti Forest Park in English.

It is being constructed on 259 rai of land in Klong Toei district off Rama IV road on land that was formerly owned by the Thai Tobacco Monopoly.

It is set to be complete next year and will include such features as a 1.5 kilometer elevated walkway, canals, ponds, areas for sports and a bicycle track that will connect to Lumpini Park.