Thailand prepares for sixth phase on easing COVID-19 restrictions
Thailand is preparing for the sixth phase on relaxing measures on COVID-19 prevention, which may allow five groups of foreigners and migrant workers to enter the country.
Immigration officers stand in front of an arrivals hall at Suvarnabhumi airport (Source: Reuters)
Bangkok (VNA) – 🍒Thailand ispreparing for the sixth phase on relaxing measures on COVID-19 prevention, whichmay allow five groups of foreigners and migrant workers to enter the country.
The Centre for COVID-19 SituationAdministration (CCSA) of Thailand said it would grant permission to migrant constructionworkers and those working in the food export industry, foreign visitors who areinvolved in trade exhibitions, foreigner involved in film production, andtravellers who are members of the Thailand Elite Card scheme. A committee assigned to consider the easingof COVID-19 restrictions has discussed the sixth phase of relaxation and theissue will be tabled to a full meeting of the CCSA this week. As of July 20, Thailand marked 56consecutive days without COVID-19 transmissions in the community while new cases were imported ones. From January this year, the countryreported a total of 3,250 infections, including 58 deaths./.
Foreign visitors still stranded in Thailand by the COVID-19 pandemic will be allowed to apply for an extended short stay after their visas expire on July 31, the Thai Immigration Bureau chief said on July 17.
The National Rice Policy Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, has approved a rice price guarantee scheme for the 2020-2021 crop, offering guaranteed prices at the same rates as during the previous season.
Investment in research and development (R&D) in Thailand this year is forecast to drop to 1.09 percent of GDP from the previously estimated 1.45 percent due to COVID-19.
The Hydro-Informatics Institute (HII) under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation of Thailand, which analyses water-related data, is warning of a water shortage as it expects this year's rainy season to be shorter than usual.
Governor of the Bank of Thailand (BoT) Veerathai Santiprabhob said on July 20 that it will take several years for foreign tourist numbers to return to the 40 million level.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
Immigration officers stand in front of an arrivals hall at Suvarnabhumi airport (Source: Reuters) 
