Prime Minister Prayut opts for a 'public health-led economy'
The Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has decided to extend the state of emergency and lockdown in Thailand for a month, but a number of businesses with a low risk of transmission of the coronavirus will be allowed to reopen from May 4.
Some drastic measures, such as the curfew from 22.00 p.m. to 04.00 a.m. and strict travel restrictions, remain in place. Prime Minister Prayut wants a “public health-led economy” and is more concerned with the safety and health of the population than the impact on businesses, CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said.
Health experts, including Prasit Watanapa, dean of medical school at Siriraj Hospital, warned that the gradual lifting of the lockdown could increase the daily number of new Covid-19 infections.
The emergency law in force will expire on Thursday, but four measures under the law will remain in place, said Dr. Taweesilp, such as the curfew from 22.00 p.m. to 04.00 a.m., the ban on mass gatherings, restrictions on inter-provincial travel and strict controls on travel to Thailand, including a ban on all inbound passenger flights for another month.
Prayut agrees with the Office of the National Council for Economic and Social Development that some businesses should be allowed to reopen under certain conditions. Strict conditions apply, however. For example, businesses and places that reopen from May 4 must be necessary for people's daily lives and have a low risk of transmission of the virus. Boxing stadiums, entertainment venues and activities with large crowds in small spaces are considered high risk and will remain banned for an extended period of time.
When the lockdown is relaxed for certain companies, an evaluation will follow every 14 days. If the number of infections rises too much again, the relaxations will be reversed.
The CCSA does not want the selected businesses to open in certain provinces, but across the country, to avoid traveling to areas where business activities are given the green light.
If the government allows low-risk activities to resume, the number of new infections is likely to increase by 40 to 70 per day, up from 15 to 30 under the current strict rules, Dr Taweesilp said. Nevertheless, this increase in the number of infections is acceptable, given the economic impact of the current measures. Everything is aimed at preventing an excessive increase in the number of patients.
Source: Bangkok Post
LS
The measures are good in that respect.
But whether it will actually help, only time will tell.
There are relatively few infections for such a large country like Thailand!!
There are currently more deaths from suicide than from the virus itself.
Cause .... the pennies are gone.
Never created a buffer for bad times.
They live day by day.
But they are not the only ones, here in nerdeland it is the same.
Particularly the self-employed, I know plenty in my family and circle of acquaintances who had a black cash book.
And now hold up your hand!!!
I wish them the best of luck there in Thailand and it remains to be seen whether I will go there in August!
The ticket price is very low, but do they fly??
And if you enter the country ??/
Wait, wait and be patient!!
Otherwise it will be November!!
Gr rob
Dear Rob, how can many Thai people build a financial buffer with around 300 baht per day in wages.
Just to be able to make ends meet every day is quite a challenge for many.
Jan Beute.
Quote:
'Cause…the pennies are gone.
Never created a buffer for lesser times.
They live by the day.'
@Rob,
apparently you have little knowledge of the daily life of ordinary working people in Thailand. I would like to know how you will manage to create a buffer for lesser times from a wage of +/- 10.000THB / m. If YOU could 'survive' this, it would be quite an achievement in itself.
Indeed, Lung addie, and even that 10.000 a month is not reached by many. There is a minimum wage, but of course you have to have a job…..,
And when can I just buy a beer again?
Wasn't that alcohol ban related to songkran?
It's starting to look more and more like the alcohol ban is a common harassment.
Bullying that makes absolutely no sense and has nothing to do with that virus.
It is a given that people drink alcohol more often when they are bored and even if there is hardly any income, a number of people who should not be underestimated prefer to use alcohol rather than food.
For the people with money it seems like harassment, but it is probably necessary to protect the bottom layer of the population against themselves or else their family.
The question could also be "Why am I craving my beer so much?" Still secretly addicted 😉 In the latter case, you have to look for the dealer who currently charges a hazard surcharge.
The male Thais in my soi, whom I would call alcoholics based on their drinking habits, have been stocking up on alcohol for weeks. They can go ahead for another two to three weeks. Then there is indeed a problem. But the real alcoholic always knows where to find booze.
That alcohol ban was introduced by the government to prevent gatherings of more than two people. However, they forgot an important detail. The men school together every night in my soi while enjoying alcohol. A little further on, the women school together with only water and backbiting. Prayut has to come up with something about that, but that won't be easy: banning water seems simpler to me than a fine for backbiting. (lol)
Would be possible again from May 3, but that depends on the Governor of your province.
Correction.
According to what I now understand, you could buy alcohol in those two days. So May 1 and 2. Everything may be closed again from May 3.
But it does have a big advantage, that there are fewer road casualties due to alcohol abuse.
So it does have big advantages. Oh and that beer will come again. But the fact is that when bored one likes to have a drink.
Can I throw up?
A 'public health-led economy'? Besides the fact that this negates other important sectors in this country (I mention agriculture, exports, tourism, gems and jewelry, auto parts) Mr. Prayut could have done something about it much earlier. This country is dying from environmental problems (poison, air pollution), from unhealthy lifestyles (eating raw meat and fish, alcohol abuse, drinking and driving, little exercise) and from looking away from causes of death (stress, high blood pressure, road deaths). Thousands of people die every year and many more in the long term. But now there are 55 Corona deaths and the policy is about. Do you believe it yourself?
It is also striking that the new, progressive and innovative boys and girls of the old Future Forward party have no defense against the government. Now Jatuporn (yes, he's back) has to pull the chestnuts out of the fire on social media and all he can do is shout his horn to protest.
Indeed 55 Corona deaths per 70 million inhabitants.
And more than 20.000 road deaths every year!
PW, nothing is said about alcohol sales.t I noticed today that at an &-eleven store all alcohol has been cleared, including non-alcoholic beer. According to the store's staff, this was done because they cannot quickly eliminate the sales ban is expected.
Alcohol has nothing but nothing to do with corona, here in Belgium you can buy everything, think there is more in Thailand to control the population
But you don't get any further than drinking with your family or alone in Belgium.... 😉
This 'public health-led economy' is in fact used in every country, including NL. Here too, Rutte says, no opening of sectors that entail that people move a lot or can be together, with the alleged risk of spreading the virus. Governments around the world are assessing the economic impact as irrelevant, or well, at least 'take care of later'. Not really a specific Thai view if you ask me.
With a few infections today, there is hardly a corona problem in Thailand. No one knows what use the curfew is; One half of Pattaya is closed off from the other half, but Chonburi has 0 infections in the last 10 days. It is clear that policymakers themselves do not have companies that are affected.
We live in a surreal time where people are fighting an 'imaginary' battle against an invisible enemy.
In fact, there is no great excess mortality among the old people; the crematorium in my neighborhood (Lochristi) speaks of a maximum of 20% extra compared to other years.
The singles in particular are psychologically badly affected by a lack of social contacts.
Is this not a power-directed action against social debauchery? Alcohol ban and night clock also point in that direction.
Shouldn't the title of this article be: Prime Minister Prayut opts for a 'military-led economy'?
I corrected your typo: 'military torpedoed economy' 🙂
There are still few infections in Thailand. The death toll is small. Measures were invoked fairly early and quickly. The Thai government persists and extends for a month. Now Prayuth says he bases the Thai economy on what public health needs. He maintains the state of emergency and lockdown and from May 4, a number of companies with a low risk of corona transmission are allowed. Some drastic measures, such as the curfew from 22.00 p.m. to 04.00 a.m. and strict travel restrictions, remain in place. In short, Prayut wants public health to prevail.
But if virtually no damage occurs with regard to public health, the infections are minimal, ditto the number of deaths: why the focus on closing off society?
What will Thailand benefit from these measures, now that the damage is becoming clear? Why extend for one month if practice shows that a lockdown is no longer necessary at all?