Covid-19 Thailand – Latest Updates (20th July, 2020)
Latest Cases – 3,250 (+ 1) Recovered – 3,096 Hospitalized – 96 (+1) Died – 58
Thai immigration mulls grace period
BANGKOK, 20 July 2020: Thailand may offer foreigners in the country a grace period until 26 September to apply for visa extensions once the visa amnesty ends 31 July.
Thousands of foreigners who reside, or are stranded, in Thailand since the country banned commercial international flights back in April have enjoyed automatic extensions on visas and reporting procedures without having to apply online or in-person, but the amnesty is due to end this month.
It will most likely be replaced by a grace period to allow foreigners to sort out their status without the fear of fines. However, once the grace period ends, the Immigration Bureau will resume strict compliance of visa rules.
Reuters news agency quoted a high ranking immigration official saying: “So we do not propose to extend visas after 31 July, but allow for visa requests from 1 August to 26 September.”
But the new concession will still need Cabinet approval that could occur later this week. It will go on the books once the Cabinet approves and the update to regulations is posted on the Royal Gazette. In addition, the Immigration Bureau will post details on social media and website.
Full Story: TTRWeekly
The Impact of COVID-19 on Thailand’s economy
hailand has been successful in stemming the tide of COVID-19 infections over the last three months, but the economy is expected to shrink significantly in 2020.
The recovery will be gradual, as the economy may take more than two years to return to pre-COVID-19 output levels and will depend on an effective policy response, in particular support for vulnerable households and firms.
Thailand’s economy is expected to be impacted severely by the COVID-19 pandemic, shrinking by at least 5 percent in 2020 and taking more than two years to return to pre-COVID-19 GDP output levels, according to the World Bank’s latest Thailand Economic Monitor.
The COVID-19 pandemic shocked the economy especially in the second quarter of 2020 and has already led to widespread job losses, affecting middle-class households and the poor alike.
While Thailand has been successful in stemming the tide of COVID-19 infections over the last three months, the economic impact has been severe. The tourism sector, which makes up close to 15 percent of Thailand’s GDP, has been hit hard, with a near cessation of international tourist arrivals since March 2020.
Full Story: ThailandBusinessNews
3 New Covid Imports Sunday As Hotels Warned Of Overpricing
Three new Covid-19 infections were found in Thais returning to the country from abroad, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said on Sunday.
Two of the cases returned to the country from Singapore: a 60-year-old man who arrived in Bangkok on July 6 and tested positive five days later, and a 43-year-old man who was diagnosed with the disease when he arrived in the capital on Friday.
The third case was a 39-year-old man who arrived from Sudan on Saturday and tested positive at Suvarnabhumi airport. Centre spokesman Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin said all three new patients had no contact with the public and are now hospitalised. The total number of confirmed cases was now 3,249, with fatalities unchanged at 58.
Although the country has been free of local transmissions for 55 days, a Suan Dusit Poll issued on Sunday indicated that public sentiment was still against plans to open the doors to foreigners. With a ban on foreign tourists in place, the government is relying on local travellers to inject money into the tourism sector.
The government has introduced Rao Tiew Duay Kan (We Travel Together), a new stimulus campaign that subsidises 5 million nights of hotel accommodation. Tourists will pay only 60% of normal room rates, with the government responsible for the other 40%, with the subsidy capped at 3,000 baht per night for up to five nights.
More than 3.6 million people have signed up for the package since registration on the website began on Wednesday.
Deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul said on Sunday most of the registrants had reserved for one-night stays in hotels in eastern and western provinces. Krabi was the most popular long-distance tourist destination so far, she added.
Full Story:BangkokPost
