Thailand sets goal to reopen for international tourists in 120 days
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced in a nationally televised programme on June 16 that the country will reopen its borders to international tourists within 120 days after a year of restriction to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Tourists at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) - Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced in a nationally televised programme on June 16 that the country will reopen its borders to international tourists within 120 days after a year of restriction to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The PM said Thailand has secured agreements with six vaccine producers – Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Sinovac, Sinopharm and AstraZeneca – for 105.5 million doses to be delivered this year. It would seek more supplies next year.
He added that the country plans to administer an average of 10 million shots of coronavirus vaccines each month from July onwards and aims to reopen the tourism-reliant country to fully vaccinated travelers, local and foreign, without a quarantine requirement.
Re-opening the country is important to start reducing the suffering of people who have lost their ability to earn an income, he said.
The scheme will start with a pilot reopening from July 1 on Thailand’s most popular island, Phuket, which has been vaccinating most of its local population.
Thailand lost about 50 billion USD in tourism revenue last year – an 82 percent plunge./.
Thailand’s cabinet on June 8 approved the hiring of 10,000 special government employees on a one-year contract to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thailand has set a target of achieve a joint understanding document that paves the way to begin talks for the long-awaited free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) this year.
Thailand’s cabinet on June 15 approved in principle a proposal that all foreigners residing in the country under the Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) have to purchase COVID-19 insurance with the minimum coverage of 100,000 USD.
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.
Tourists at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
