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Thailand’s GDP shrank 12.2% from a year ago, the National Economic and Social Development Council said Monday, its biggest decline in more than 20 years since the country was hit by the Asian financial crisis in 1998.
The outlook for Thailand’s economy this year is the most dire in Asia given its reliance on exports and tourism, and worsened by the strong baht, which gained more than 6% in the the April-June quarter, the second-best performing currency in Asia tracked by Bloomberg.
The data reflect the fact that the economy was shut for part of the second quarter, and borders remain closed to most foreigners.
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.
The ban on international commercial flights will remain while the Covid-19 pandemic situation remains critical in many countries, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) said last week.
Thailand allows no ordinary tourist entry at the moment, while no travel bubble programmes with other countries have been implemented yet.
“We are concerned about the economy, especially employment, bad debts” and small and medium enterprises, said Thosaporn Sirisumphand, secretary general of the economic council.
The NESDC cut its full-year forecast to a 7.3%-7.8% contraction, from an earlier estimate of a 5%-6% fall.
Thailand’s GDP is forecast to contract 8-10% this year, before recovering to 4-5% growth in…
Bangkok, 21 August, 2020 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has helped build confidence with the Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association (RSTA), a cluster of 17 major hotels, shopping malls and convention centres in the heart of Bangkok, by presenting the Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA) certification.
The RSTA was the first district in Thailand to receive the certification, which was presented on 18 August, 2020, and this will further assure the residents, staff, office personnel and tourists, both Thai and foreigners, that all the government’s health guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are being strictly enforced and monitored.
Mr. Chai Srivikorn, President of the RSTA said “The Ratchaprasong district is Thailand’s leading commercial business centre, world-class shopping and tourist district. Receiving the SHA certification will facilitate the shift to the “New Normal”, boost the economy, and send a clear message to prospective foreign tourists that Thailand is ready to welcome and support them with internationally recognised health and safety standards.”
He said that all the district’s shopping centres, hotels and restaurants are participating in the “We Travel Together” campaign. “Domestic tourism is our first target by organising activities, events and seminars by companies and organisations based in Thailand. These will be stepped up later this year after the restrictions on inbound visitor arrivals are hopefully lifted.”
Mr. Chai said that a recovery campaign “Stronger Together: Arts from the Heart” will be launched this September with strict hygiene measures covering all public areas, shopping malls, office buildings, and food courts.
Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT Deputy Governor for Tourism Products and Services, said, “All the 17 buildings in the Ratchaprasong area have received SHA certification. This is a great example of public-private sector cooperation and unity in accordance with the government’s economic stimulus policy. It will help to raise the standards of our tourism products and services, send a strong message of safety and confidence, promote a good tourism image, and ensure that Thailand remains a top-line “Preferred Destination.”
Hotels are reporting initial bookings of up to 20-30% for rooms and conference facilities depending on their individual promotions. Hotels participating in the “We Travel Together” campaign have gained the advantage of the discounted and subsidised room rates. Functions also began to come back after the fifth phase of the lockdown measures were relaxed. This has generated more shopping and eating activities for the entire complex.
Mr. Daniel Simon, General Manager of the Anantara Siam Bangkok, said the hotel has implemented stringent hygiene and safety measures to ensure the well-being of guests and staff. A special project called ‘Stay with Peace of Mind’ has observed all the hygiene and environment protocols and standards of the Thai Environmental Protection Agency.
He said, “The Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel never shut down even during the COVID-19 epidemic. It is projecting an occupancy of 30% by the fourth quarter of 2020, thanks to domestic tourism, rental of functions and meetings space. Various promotional packages are being offered; such as, free dinners for all room bookings.”
Dr. Natthakit Tangpoonsinthana, Executive Vice President for Marketing, Central Pattana PCL said that after the reopening of the Central World Shopping Centre on 17 May, 2020, customers have slowly regained confidence.
He said the shoppers have returned to about 70-85% of the pre-COVID-19 levels and bookings for events are coming in steadily. New campaigns are planned to target shoppers; such as, offers of 90% discounts on September 9 (9/9) and the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2020: Non-Stop Shopping campaign, under which E-Vouchers worth more than 17 million Baht are being made available for more than 30 famous brands, valid until 15 September, 2020.
All activities will strictly abide by the 75-point measures being implemented under
the slogan: “Central: Clean, Confident”. This will both enhance customer confidence about hygiene and safety standards, and also bolster the image of Thailand as the leading global country in curbing the spread of the pandemic.
Other leading shopping centres are also offering discounts and promotions; such as, the Amarin Plaza, which is hosting an Amarin Brand Sale event every week. The complex expects 80% of Thai and foreign customers to be back for shopping by the end of 2020.
The Platinum Fashion Mall and The Market Bangkok shopping centre have organised weekly activities and promotions since July. In addition, many interesting events and festivals have been held aimed at Thai tourists and expats.
For accommodation packages, restaurants, hotels and special promotions from shopping centres in Ratchaprasong, please visit www.facebook.com/heartofbangkok.
The post TAT backs Ratchaprasong complex efforts to prepare for the New Normal appeared first on TAT Newsroom.
KRABI(NNT) – A baby dugong in Krabi died on August 17 last year with plastic garbage filling her stomach. The death of dugong “Mariam” has sparked a call for marine resources conservation, with 17th August of every year now the National Dugong Conservation Day.
On 26th April last year, officials found a 6-month old baby dugong beached in Ao Tueng bay in Krabi. This young dugong was still feeding on her mother’s milk, and was unsuccessfully reintroduced back into the sea several times, only to be found beached again.
The officials then transported Mariam to a suitable location off the shores of Libong Island in Trang, with officials from Phuket Marine Biological Center, veterinarians and local leaders acting as her nannies.
Dugongs are omnivore creatures which usually feeds on sea grass. However at 6-months old, the baby dugong still needed to feed on milk. Without her mother, the officials needed to cradle her and feed her from bottles, creating images that turned into a sensation among the general public. The caretaking team then taught Mariam to feed on sea grass, and swim along with an orange boat, which the dugong became attached to. The orange boat later gained the nickname Orange Mom.
This operation to take care of this baby dugong raised an awareness of sea grass and marine resources conservation in Thai waters.
Yesterday, locals on Libong Island held a commemorative event for Mariam, with seminars on dugong conservation, a beach clean-up and the national dugong conservation plan, aimed at increasing the dugong population.
The panel also discussed tourism and fisheries management, to reduce impacts to dugong’s habitats, the establishment of a dugong life saving center, the establishment of a rare animal museum and learning center, as well as other campaigns promoting dugong conservation.
The national dugong conservation plan is aimed at increasing the dugong population in Thailand by 50 percent in 10 years, increasing their number from 250 to 375 in Thai waters.
BANGKOK (NNT) – A Deputy Minister of Education has detailed her accomplishments in the past year, announcing the direction forward is to continue promoting online learning which helps boost employment and creates a healthy society.
A Deputy Minister of Education, Kanokwan Wilawan mentioned that the Ministry of Education has been placing an emphasis on lifelong learning, focusing on the creation of educational opportunities for underprivileged persons across the country.
The deputy Education Minister announced the Ministry of Education, had last year employed more assistant teachers and executives at the Office of Non-Formal and Informal Education, including a scheme to allow contract government workers to become official government employees. The M=ministry has also increased the medical allowance limit for each teacher at private schools from 100,000 baht per person per year to 150,000 baht per person per year.
Mrs Kanokwan said the Ministry of Education is now on track to promote lifelong learning, using online tools to help create jobs and promote a healthy society. To achieve this goal, the Ministry of Education has developed the ONIE Online application for online learning, and promoted the use of the Google Classroom as an online learning tool.
More informal education and home school courses will be provided online to help promote occupational skills, encouraging Thai people to file a patent for their inventions to protect their intellectual property.
The Ministry of Education will be working together with professionals, the civil society sector, elders, persons with disabilities, families, and caretakers, in order to promote a healthy ageing society in Thailand.
The Center for Economic and Business Forecasting (CEBF) of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) has predicted that the Thai GDP this year will shrink between 9.4 to 11.4 percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The coronavirus outbreak has already cost the Thai economy Bt2.1 trillion, which could rise to Bt3 trillion if the economy does not recover in the second half of the year, said Thanawat Polvichai, rector at UTCC.
The economy in the second quarter is expected to contract by 15 per cent, further than the previous historic low of 12 per cent in the second quarter of 1998 during the Asian financial crisis, he noted.
The university has almost doubled its projection of economic contraction in 2020 from 4.9 per cent to 9.4 per cent, said Thanawat, who is also chief adviser to the Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting at the UTCC.
The post Thailand’s GDP to shrink from 9.4 to 11.4 percent appeared first on Thailand Business News.
Bangkok, 14 August, 2020 – Mr. Tanes Petsuwan, Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has been invited to join a distinguished line-up of speakers at the 1st Destination Mekong Summit to be held on 25 August, 2020, from 13.30 Hrs. onwards.
Under the theme of “Balanced Tourism Recovery for a Better Future”, the half-day summit is hosted by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) and organised by the public-private partnership Destination Mekong with sponsorship of UNWTO Affiliate Member Chameleon Strategies. With feedback and significant contributions by members of the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG), and a focus on resilience and tourism recovery in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), the 1st Destination Mekong Summit aims to give actionable insights and action steps to businesses operating in the member countries of the GMS.
At 15.05-15.20 Hrs., in chapter 5 “The Message”, Mr. Tanes will share the importance of communicating the right message in these challenging days, together with Mr. Michael Marshall, Chief Commercial Officer of Minor Hotels, and moderated by Ms Wimintra Raj, publisher & editor of eGlobal Travel Media/Hotelintel.
The 15 short sessions will discuss issues ranging from changing sentiments from source markets of China and Japan, recommendations for the meetings sector, latest data and insights for travel businesses, how to communicate to stakeholders in these times, the ever-increasing importance of sustainability including climate change, plastic pollution, child protection, and wildlife conservation, as well as a scenario analysis to prepare for the future today.
In order to assist businesses during these challenging times, the registration fee has been waived as a gesture of goodwill. The complete programme and free registration is available at: https://www.destinationmekong.com/dms2020/. Questions to the individual sessions can be submitted beforehand at [email protected].
The post TAT Deputy Governor Tanes Petsuwan to speak at the First Destination Mekong Summit appeared first on TAT Newsroom.
BANGKOK(NNT) – A group of farmers has submitted a report declaring the ineffectiveness of alternative chemicals recommended to replace Paraquat and Chlorpyrifos, and asking the government to revise the ban on these two chemicals, which has been in effect since 1st June.
The Federation of Safe Agriculture’s Secretary General, Sukan Sangwanna has led a group of farmers to submit a letter to the Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, asking for the reconsideration of the ban on Paraquat and Chlorpyrifos in farming.
According to their complaint, the Department of Agriculture has yet to issue any management guidelines or provide alternatives to the two chemicals, only providing suggestions as to which chemicals can be used to replace the two, such as Glufosinate.
With the letter to the PM, the federation has attached a study claiming Glufosinate’s ineffectiveness to kill weeds at farms of sugar cane, oil palm, tapioca, rubber, sweet corn, and maize, and its undesirable effect on crops which seem not to grow as they should.
The federation also alleges a double standard, as the government does not ban the import of farm products from countries where Paraquat and Chlorpyrifos are allowed to be used, while citing present challenges farmers are facing from natural disasters, such as flooding in certain areas. They are demanding the government and the Hazardous Substance Committee reconsider the ban, and instead impose restrictions while educating farmers on proper and safe chemicals usage.
The use of Paraquat and Chlorpyrifos in agriculture was made illegal on 1st June 2020, as per the Hazardous Substance Committee’s decision. Owners of these chemicals are now required to return the chemicals to their sellers by 29th August to avoid prosecution.
© Siam News Network Ltd.
