Covid-19 News & Updates

[HHTel]

17 new cases today, the highest for a month.

However, ALL were discovered in state quarantine so another net zero.

It certainly highlights the importance of border control.

[dtaai-maai]

17 new cases today, the highest for a month.

However, ALL were discovered in state quarantine so another net zero.

It certainly highlights the importance of border control.

Well, yes, but it also highlights the fact that border controls are probably the only places where testing is carried out on an organised basis.

[HHTel]

That is also true. However, assuming there are widespread infections, not all would be asymptomatic and would surely cause noticeable clusters of infections with symptoms. So far, none have come to light.
Phuket started with 5 cases and look what happened there.

[Big Boy]

[albaker]

Look at it this way. The elderly are affected the most. The elderly cost governments and companies money in terms of pensions, health care, and worker lost productive time caring for elderly family.

Please don't say people in power don't think that way.

Agree elderly are affected but in most cases death is the result of existing underlying health conditions .
One of the biggest costs to the NHS here in UK is not the elderly but the result of the many people needing medical treatment for conditions such as Diabities et al . Also along with the A&E weekend ,< before the lockdown seemed to be from Thursday - Sunday>, influx of accident/drunks/drug addicts etc . none of which according to my grandson a registrar at local hospital over 50 .
Pensions are not a great drain on government or private companies as they are in the main a result of paid in contributions .
Worker lost productive time caring for elderly family members , don't know where this comes from , as an ex employer in a small company 35 employees , we lost more days to child care problems , never had , that I remember day<s> off for elderly family problems .

[Nereus]

Restive locals turn to Hua Hin

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/19 ... n#cxrecs_s

Working from a resort is the latest trend in Hua Hin, with seaside hotels packed last weekend and set to remain busy through the end of June.

Chotechuang Soorangura, managing director of NS Travel and Tours, said hotels owned by his group in Hua Hin, Kanchanaburi and Sukhothai began seeing local guests check in last week. The seaside town of Hua Hin saw 100% occupancy rates on May 30 and 31.

"We've started to see pent-up demand from local travellers, as a number of resorts in Hua Hin, not only us, received a lot of guests from Bangkok every day last week, and strong bookings continued for this week after hotels in this area were allowed to open from May 18," Mr Chotechuang said.

He said some guests decided to change their working locations to escape the sameness of two months of working from home.

The last week of May also marked the end of working from home policies for many companies nationwide, which prompted a number of guests to seize this last chance before going back to the daily office routine in June.

The occupancy rate for weekdays this month is still running around 60-80%, while forward booking for weekends reached its peak at 100%, resulting from advanced voucher sales in the domestic market that many hotels launched during lockdown to increase cash flow.

Mr Chotechuang, also a committee member of the Thai Travel Agents Association, said while hotels within driving distance of Bangkok are showing strong recovery signs, domestic tour operators may have to wait until July to hit the road again because people prefer to drive their own cars.

He said inter-provincial group tours may resume once restrictions between provinces are lifted, but the feedback is not expected to be strong as people will be concerned more about health.

"We have to prepare for health safety measures, which costs us an additional 30% as tour buses can only carry 23 people, down from the full capacity of 44, to comply with physical distancing rules," Mr Chotechuang said.

The cost of airfare is also rising about 30% as airlines have to increase sales prices to compensate for seats that have to be left empty.

Even though the Japanese government has recently been considering easing entry bans for visitors from Thailand, outbound tour operators cannot benefit from this decision immediately as long as returnees from Japan have to be sent to state quarantine for 14 days.

Outbound movement will occur as soon as there is agreement from two sides to refrain from keeping tourists in isolation.

Udom Srimahachota, executive director of Baan Talay Dao Resort and vice-president of the Thai Hotels Association's western chapter, said the occupancy rate in Hua Hin closed at 40% in May, higher than the 20-30% expected.

He said hotel guests are a mix of Thais and foreign expats who tend to stay for 2-3 nights, up from only one night before the pandemic.

Mr Udom's hotel was fully booked this past weekend for the first time since reopening, and expects the same this weekend as the province doesn't have 14-day quarantine requirements for visitors.

There have been no new cases in the province for more than one month, which boosts tourist confidence, and tourism operators in the province are talking to the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Prachuap Khiri Khan office about domestic tourism campaigns.

Mr Udom said his resort may introduce work-from-resort promotions for bookings of 5-7 nights in response to recent demand from guests.

3651544.jpg

Tourists ride horses at Hua Hin beach. Hotels there recorded higher occupancy in May from locals. Thanarak Khunton

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[caller]

Interesting report. I knew it was busier last weekend, but not that much busier.

[DTHH]

Have to say the pick-up in business since the soft reopening last Monday has been staggering despite all the restrictive regulation and guidelines. Yes, the rates and promotions have very much been designed to put 'bums on seats', or in beds, in the nicest possible way, but we are looking at 80%+ occupancy and rising for the remainder of the month, so some people still have money burning a hole in their pocket despite everything. How long it will last is, of course, another matter.

[pitsch]

Does anyone know if alcohol can be consumed in a restazrant now?

[DTHH]

Does anyone know if alcohol can be consumed in a restazrant now?

Speaking for Petchburi (hotels)m it can't be brought in or consumed I'm afraid

[HHTel]

Alcohol is 'take-away' only at the moment.

[Big Boy]

Alcohol is 'take-away' only at the moment.

Does that rule vary according to province? I ask because we have a friend in NE Thailand at the moment and he is openly posting photos of beer drinking in restaurants. Or is it just Thailand being Thailand - get away from tourist areas, and rules are meaningless?

[HHTel]

Alcohol bans in restaurants will remain in force until at least phase 4 possibly on June 15th.

Bars, Nightclubs, etc remain closed at least until Phase four, which based on the Covid-19 situation over the next two weeks would likely take place or or around June 15th. The CCSA also responded to a question from the press about alcohol in restaurants and stated that sales of alcohol will still be prohibited for dine in at this time, likely until bars and pubs are allowed to re-open.

The State of Emergency still exists until June 30th which means governors can strengthen restrictions but cannot relax them further than government dictates.

What you're seeing, BB, is as you say, TIT.

[HHTel]

One new case today, from state quarantine, as usual.

[Big Boy]

Some news that many have been waiting for. A word of caution though, Bangkok Post was attributed to 3 pieces of Fake News in the last week.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... bg2Sj_UeXQ