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From Viet Nam News Foreigners stuck in country due to COVID-19 can stay until June 30 HÀ NỘI — Foreigners entering the country under visa waiver programmes, e-visas or tourism visas after March 1 will be automatically given stay permit extension until June 30 free of charge. The Immigration Department announced on Monday all stay permits for these people will be automatically extended and do not need to be renewed.This means from now until June 30, they can stay or leave the country without doing any paperwork. The move is aimed to help those stuck in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Foreigners who entered the country before March 1 will also be considered for this permit extension as long as they can prove they cannot leave the country due to the pandemic. In these cases they need certification by their diplomatic mission in Việt Nam through an official diplomatic note with a translation in Vietnamese. Those who obtained documents from the Vietnamese authorities certifying that they have undergone quarantine or treatment for COVID-19 or are stuck here due to reasons beyond their control are also eligible for the stay permit extension.

From Bangkok Post Bangkok traffic back to gridlock as coronavirus measures ease Cars, trucks and motorcycles jostled on Monday in a return of the capital's familiar gridlock as commuters headed back to work in the second phase of easing coronavirus restrictions to get the economy back on track. As snarl-ups grew in Bangkok's notoriously congested streets, travellers headed to its northern bus terminal to get out to the provinces for the first time since March, most sitting beside empty seats, in line with social distancing rules. Queues formed on Sunday at the reopening of the country’s malls, where some operators are using touch-less elevators and deploying robots to take customers' temperatures. Even though Thailand has been reporting fewer coronavirus cases in recent weeks, the government is keeping closed places that typically attract large groups of people, such as cinemas. "Do not sit" signs have been posted on many of the seats on Bangkok's elevated train network to give sufficient gaps between passengers, and floor markers are in place to control lines.

From Khaosod English BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s flag carrier Thai Airways International will file a plan for restructuring its business with the Central Bankruptcy Court, a government spokeswoman said Monday. Narumon Pinyosinwat said the plan submitted by the State Enterprise Policy Office to salvage the airline will be submitted Tuesday to for Cabinet approval. She said she had no details of the plan. Thai Airways had been suffering financially even before the coronavirus crisis brought travel and tourism in the country to a near standstill. The airline initially sought a 54 billion baht ($1.7 billion) bailout loan from the government. There is speculation that its reorganization under bankruptcy could take the government’s ownership share below 50%, effecting a form of privatization. All rescue options were likely to lead in cuts in staff, fleet and flights. Thai Airways logged losses of 12 billion baht ($374.3 million) in 2019, 11.6 billion baht ($361.9 million) in 2018 and 2.11 billion baht ($65.8 million) in 2017. Thai media reports say it is carrying a debt burden of almost 300 billion baht ($9.4 billion). The airline stopped all its flights at the beginning of April as Thailand imposed strict precautions to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Almost all its staff were put on leave at greatly reduced salaries. The government last week extended to the end of June a ban on arrivals on international passenger flights, ruling out their immediate resumption.

From The Nation Department explains reasons for removing some countries from high-risk list The Department of Disease Control has explained the reasons for removing China, South Korea as well as Hong Kong and Macau from the list of countries with high risk of Covid-19 infection. The announcement, signed by Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, has been published in the Royal Gazette on Friday (May 15) and will go into effect as of May 16. “The criteria that we use to consider lifting the status ‘high risk of infection’ are: The territory must have less than 20 internal cases in the past 14 days, and that it must have medical and public health readiness to effectively handle the outbreak,” said Dr Walairat Chaifoo, the department’s head of epidemiology, on Friday (May 15). Walairat added that China has reported less than 12 new patients per day since April 23, except on April 29 when there were 21 new cases from overseas and one local case. South Korea has reported less than 14 new cases per day since April 20. However, the Itaewon cluster cases that recently emerged have raised the country’s new patients to 20-30 persons per day as a result of aggressive testing. Macau has reported no new cases since April 9, while Hong Kong has reported less than 5 new cases since April 12. “As for Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia, which had been previously announced as at high risk for infection, they will continue to remain under this status although some fit the criteria of having no to fewer new cases reported,” Walairat added. “This is because these countries have connecting borders with Thailand, some of which are still active, which pose a high risk of Covid-19 spreading.”

From CNBC Delta to retire Boeing 777s, seeks to burn zero cash by end of 2020 Delta Air Lines said Thursday it aims to eliminate its daily cash burn by the end of the year and will retire its fleet of Boeing 777s, a sign it doesn’t expect a quick return of long-haul international travel as coronavirus continues to batter demand. The Atlanta-based airline said it has halved its daily cash burn to $50 million a day, on schedule, as it cut flights and reduced other expenses amid the pandemic. “Our principal financial goal for 2020 is to reduce our cash burn to zero by the end of the year, which will mean, for the next two to three years, a smaller network, fleet and operation in response to substantially reduced customer demand,” CEO Ed Bastian said in a staff memo. Demand for international flights has plunged because of the disease, travel restrictions and shelter-in-place orders, and airlines have slashed those routes. “With international travel expected to return slowly, we’ve also made the difficult decision to permanently retire our Boeing 777 fleet – 18 aircraft – by the end of the year,” Bastian told staff. He said more “fuel-efficient and cost-effective” A330s and A350-900 planes, made by Airbus will be used instead. “Retiring a fleet as iconic as the 777 is not an easy decision – I know it has a direct impact on many of you who fly, crew and service these jets.”

Excerpted from CNN Travel How expensive will air travel be after the Covid-19 crisis? (CNN) — When the state of Florida began enacting stay-at-home measures and closing beaches in mid-March, in response to the threat of Covid-19, Miami-based real estate agent and artist Nadia Bouzid was in the middle of painting a mural inside a new hotel in Cancun, Mexico. Putting down the paintbrush, she picked up her phone and began searching airfares to return home. "I watched a seat on the flight I wanted go from $200 to $70, to $350," Bouzid tells CNN Travel. "I booked it and flew, but the flight was spookily empty. I was panicking, and the changing price made me wonder how much I'd be paying to return to finish my work, when all this is over." As countries formulate plans towards reopening borders and businesses, and airlines begin to see a return of passenger traffic, Bouzid's question is pertinent. What will airfares be like, when "all this" is over? Social distancing means fewer seats sold, so will airfares go higher? Delta Air Lines is blocking middle seats and capping flight loads through June 30 for social distancing, allowing only 50 to 60% of available seats on a flight to be booked. Other airlines adopting similar controls include Emirates, American Airlines, Japan Airlines, United, Wizz Air and more. Many other airlines are allowing bookings as normal, with one going so far as attempting to have passengers pay to observe social distancing. On May 4, ultra-low-cost US carrier Frontier Airlines announced a "More Room" fee, purchasable for flights between May 8 and August 31. With this fee, a passenger could pay from $39 each way to guarantee that the middle seat stays unoccupied. The fee lasted all of 48 hours; late on May 6, the airline rescinded the plan after it received criticism from members of the United States Congress. Nonetheless, it's IATA, the global airline trade association, that wants to have the last word on the issue of social distancing on aircraft. Its May 5 press release advocates against forcing airlines to block middle seats. "IATA is essentially saying that airlines' financial health matters more than the health of their employees or customers," says Henry Harteveldt, airline analyst at Atmosphere Research Group. "That press release includes an estimate that airfares will have to increase if carriers are required to leave middle seats open. If demand remains low, and airlines have to compete for a limited number of travelers, airfares will likely use low fares to attract as many travelers as they're able." "Fear and trust will be the two emotions at the forefront of people's minds when planning a trip, and if a person doesn't feel an airline adequately respects their health, they will find an airline that does." Oil prices are dropping, so will airfares go lower? Blended and refined, crude oil becomes the jet fuel needed to literally power aviation. Airlines levy fuel surcharges to help pay for it, which are included in the final ticket price as a "YQ" fee, which accounts for variations in fuel cost. At the end of April, prices for barrels of crude oil dropped off a cliff. For a standard British Airways economy round-trip ticket between London and Johannesburg for a trip in August 2020, the YQ fuel surcharge is £189, 30% of the total £610 airfare (that's a $229 surcharge making up a $737 fare). Would British Airways seek to pass potential savings on jet fuel prices to passengers, by removing or lessening fuel surcharges? If only it was so simple. "Jet fuel typically accounts for 20-25% of an airline's operating expenses," Manoel Suhet tells CNN Travel. Suhet, CEO at Business Traveler Deals and a former airline executive with a background in international oil distribution, weighs that if crude oil and jet fuel prices continue to decline, air carriers may benefit from this lower price environment, but it will hardly be immediate. "Many airlines use fuel hedging to minimize the risk of fuel price volatility by agreeing to purchase a certain amount of oil in the future at a set price," says Suhet. "And the airlines are adapting these strategies to the current climate, to improve cash-flow position by streamlining costs." In other words, even though oil is cheap, jet fuel still needs to be refined from it, a process that adds to the price, and laying out cash right now to buy future fuel isn't exactly at the top of an airline's to-do list. Destinations need tourism, so will there be airfare deals? Uncertainty breeds hesitation and, for some, even shockingly low airfares may not be enough to inspire bookings until the health and economic situations of destinations stabilize. Kathy Kass, a New York City lawyer and fitness blogger, typically travels internationally every month and likes to monitor airfare deals. In March, she began canceling planned trips and holding off on planning others: "I was rebooking for late June into early July, thinking things have to be okay by then, but now I'm sitting with vouchers for a few airlines and I don't really want to collect more." She has been tempted, however. On April 29, travel blogs kicked up a frenzy over an $840 round-trip business class deal from Canada or Mexico to Bali, Indonesia, a ticket that typically prices more than four times that amount. Kass decided not to book. "I've always wanted to visit Bali, but I just don't know what the situation will be," she tells CNN Travel. "I don't want to put myself in harm's way. I also don't know what's going on in Indonesia, and don't know when Bali will again be ready for guests." Such sentiments will prove major obstacles to tourism revival, and the Italian island of Sicily has already announced their plan to overcome this hesitation and grease a return for holidaymakers. The Times of London reports that Sicily's regional government has set aside €50 million for paying half of airfares and one of every three hotel nights for visitors, while also including free entry to museums and archaeological sites. The caveat? Travelers willing to take advantage must holiday in Sicily this year, following the opening of Italy's borders to foreign tourists, and that date hasn't yet been set. Asiana Airlines is taking a similarly forgiving stance, promoting ticket sales with the promise of "buy now, fly any date." Book a flight from the United States to South Korea on Asiana and the airline will waive change fees not only once, a conciliation that has become standard among airlines during COVID, but up to three times. Airlines are adjusting for demand, so will airfares stay the same? In the heart of Australia's red center, at an airport more accustomed to welcoming tour groups bound for Uluru, the tarmac has transformed into a museum to modern Singaporean commercial aviation. More than $5 billion worth of aircraft are parked at Alice Springs Airport, from Singapore A380s and 777s, to Scoot 787s and SilkAir 737s. It's hopefully not "goodbye," but "see you later" for these planes, as the arid environment of the Outback helps keep them ready to resume service. But, for many other aircraft, the Covid-19 crisis will see them go gently into a good night. Virgin Atlantic has sped up the retirement of their 747 and A340-600 fleets, while also closing a base at London-Gatwick. KLM is saying goodbye to its iconic 747s sooner than planned, and American Airlines had a busy April retiring its 757, 767, E190 and A330-300 fleets (though some AA 767s are still flying as makeshift cargo planes). And, as planes leave the skies, so do flight and cabin crew. In a May note to the pilots of United Airlines, as obtained by Simple Flying, Bryan Quigley, senior vice president of flight operations at United, shares the sobering fact that United pilots currently outnumber passengers: "On average we are only carrying about 10,000 passengers per day...we currently have more pilots than passengers on any given day." This is hardly the leading edge of aviation sector jobs cuts; some airlines have been slicing staff for weeks, with Ryanair planning to lay off 3,000, British Airways furloughing more than 30,000, and Lufthansa Group placing 80,000 workers on reduced hours, all by the start of May. The note went on to state that United would be "displacing" 4,457 out of 12,250 pilots as of June 30. So, how expensive will air travel be? After the Covid-19 crisis ends and Nadia Bouzid goes to book a one-way economy flight back to Cancun to finish her mural, the price of the ticket may be $70, but it could also be $200 or $350. Airfares will continue to respond to supply and demand, but the possibility of tourism promotions or the need to purchase social distance on planes are emerging -- provisionally, at least -- as forces destined to push prices a little lower, or a little higher. Opinions on what are or are not good deals on tickets and the decision to purchase will, as before, still be up to you, the traveler.

Not too encouraging excerpt from above link: "Most foreign nationals will not be allowed to enter Thailand for most of this year, though it is believed that Chinese tourists may be allowed into the country by July as the number of infections in the country is under control. Operators believe there will be a large influx of Chinese tourists because they are not able to travel anywhere else."

Thanks for catching this. It was my error, not website's.

From South China Morning Post Qatar Airways, the third-largest shareholder in Cathay Pacific, said it was willing to provide an equity injection into Hong Kong’s financially battered flagship carrier if approached. “Cathay is a well-established company and as a shareholder, if Cathay Pacific were to approach us for an equity injection, we will definitely support them,” Al Baker, Group CEO of the Doha-based carrier, told the Post. Qatar said it was in a position to help, despite being hit hard by the collapse in global air travel demand. The airline holds a 9.99 per cent stake in Cathay and previously expressed interest in raising its holding, but has been restricted by the limited volume of publicly traded shares. Cathay’s two main shareholders are Swire Pacific and Air China, which hold a 45 per cent and 29.99 per cent stake each. One way for Cathay to bolster liquidity could be to issue new shares. In March, Singapore Airlines issued US$3.8 billion in new shares as part of a wider US$13 billion cash-raising exercise. Cathay said in March it had HK$20 billion (US$2.58 billion) in unrestricted liquidity and subsequently raised HK$5.45 billion in the sale and leaseback of six Boeing 777 planes. The airline said its strong vendor relations, liquidity position and “the availability of sources of funds” meant it would remain a going concern.

From Bangkok Post HANOI: Vietnam will not consider applications for new airlines as it looks to prioritise the recovery of its aviation sector after the impact of the novel coronavirus, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) said on Wednesday. Vietnam's aviation market has seen double-digit annual growth over the past decade but due to the pandemic, the number of arrivals this year is expected to fall by 43% on the year, according to a Transport Ministry report in April. Domestic flights have resumed since April 22, after the government lifted a lockdown order, while international flights are expected to partially resume from June 1. "The government now has to focus on resuming domestic and international routes and supporting existing airlines, which have been hit hard by the outbreak," the CAAV said in a statement. "The establishment of new airline will resume when the pandemic passes." Vietnam suspended all international and most domestic flights in March and April in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected 288 people in the country Two airlines are awaiting permits, Kite Air of hospitality group Thien Minh and Vietravel Airlines of tourism firm Vietravel. There are five commercial airlines in operation in Vietnam: Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific, Vietjet Air, Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO) and Bamboo Airways. =============================================================================================================================================== From Vietnam News Việt Nam ranks second for COVID-19 response in global survey HÀ NỘI — With an index score of 77, Việt Nam is ranked second globally by its citizens for its COVID-19 response, and first among Southeast Asian countries, according to a newly released study of over 23 countries and territories by Singapore-based social research agency Blackbox. Only 14 per cent of Vietnamese citizens felt angry or frustrated during the crisis – the least of any country in the survey. 94 per cent of Vietnamese felt that keeping the public informed on the virus with accurate information had worked in their favour in managing the pandemic, contributing to the country’s excellent performance in the fight against COVID-19, according to the study. David Black, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blackbox Research, said Việt Nam’s impressive score reflects the country’s swift and strict measures to clamp down on the spread of the virus, as well as its regular and transparent communication with the public on ongoing case investigations. “Việt Nam’s effectiveness in curbing the spread of the virus so far has led to a heightened level of trust and confidence of citizens in their leaders, especially when we compare the country with some of its Southeast Asian neighbours who have at times struggled with testing, contact tracing and dealing with new clusters of cases,” said Black.

Many ASEAN countries to receive vaccine From CNBC American biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences has struck a licensing agreement with five generic drugmakers to make antiviral drug remdesivir in 127 countries, not including the United States, the company announced Tuesday. Drugmakers Mylan, Cipla, Ferozsons Laboratories, Hetero Labs and Jubilant Lifesciences will manufacture remdesivir for distribution in “low-income and lower-middle-income countries, as well as several upper-middle- and high-income countries” that face health-care obstacles amid the coronavirus pandemic, the company said. Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines will be among those nations. The deal is “royalty-free” until the World Health Organization says the Covid-19 outbreak is no longer a global health crisis or “until a pharmaceutical product other than remdesivir or a vaccine is approved to treat or prevent Covid-19, whichever is earlier,” the company said. The Food and Drug Administration on May 1 granted emergency use authorization for Gilead’s remdesivir drug to treat Covid-19, which has infected more than 4 million people across the globe in a little over four months, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The intravenous drug has helped shorten the recovery time of some hospitalized Covid-19 patients, new clinical trial data suggests. Without other proven treatments, physicians will likely be considering its use to treat the coronavirus. Gilead CEO Daniel O’Day told CNBC earlier this month that the company was working to expand its supply chain after learning from other serious outbreaks such as influenza. The company has said it expects to produce more than 140,000 rounds of its 10-day treatment regimen by the end of this month and anticipates it can make 1 million rounds by the end of this year. Gilead said it will be able to produce “several million” rounds of its antiviral drug next year.

From MSN As Thailand's tourist economy suffers a near-total shutdown from travel restrictions due to the new coronavirus, employees in the industry have been forced to improvise to make ends meet. Air purser Kosit Rattanasopon, 37, has traded in his cabin crew uniform for a delivery driver's jacket, stylishly ferrying food around Bangkok on his Ducati motorbike since the Thai airline he works for grounded all flights. Kosit makes about 1,000 baht ($31.13) per day, just enough to support his father and sister, who also cook boxed meals to sell online. "I know things will not be the same again for at least another year, so I will have to keep doing this," he said. Tourism accounted for 11 percent of Thailand's GDP last year, and border closures and travel restrictions to prevent its spread are expected to decimate the industry for months to come. Those who have new jobs are among the fortunate. Some 4 million Thais work in the tourism sector, and most face a year or more of lost income until a vaccine or new coronavirus treatment allows travel to return to previous levels. Another grounded airline worker, stewardess Thawanan Thawornphatworakul, has transformed her living room into a hair salon. She averages two to three clients per day and charges 150 baht ($4.67) per cut. Thawanan, 36, said her income is nowhere near her airline salary, but it helps. "The income here helps with some expenses and pays the bills," she said. Scuba diving instructor Sermsak Posayajinda, 47, has also found a new income source, making jars of chili paste from his mother's recipes and selling them online. "At first it was only a hobby during COVID-19 period, but the results have been very good, so this will become a business for us in the long term," Sermsak said. Closure of hotels and exhibition centres also disrupted the business of Asaree Jarugosol, 36, who rents out chairs and builds stages for hotels and caterers around Bangkok. Asaree decided to retain all her staff by transforming her warehouse into a factory that makes 2,500 reusable face masks per day, first for local hospitals and now for exporting overseas as worldwide demand surges. "At first we only have one sewing machine operated by one staff ... but now we have some 40 people working a proper production line," Asaree said.

From Bangkok Post Businesses gear for June boost More activities and medium-sized businesses which have been temporarily halted or closed since late March will be allowed to resume next month, as the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) mulls a further easing of government-imposed restrictions ordered to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease. CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin on Monday said the centre -- which is headed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha -- will consider on Friday three broad categories of activities and businesses which will be allowed to resume under what he called the "Phase-2 lockdown". On the list are advertisement production, sports competitions without spectators, restaurants, food shops in office buildings, public libraries and department stores. Entertainment venues inside malls, such as movie theatres, are excluded. That said, a government source close to the CCSA said that shopping malls may not be included in the Phase-2 lockdown, which is set to take effect on May 17. Authorities have set a rough timeline for the gradual lifting of lockdowns, with the third phase likely to be announced in early June. The final phase, which is expected to be announced in mid-June, will see "all businesses and activities" reopening, the source said. Markets, food shops, street stalls and hair salons (including pet groomers) are among the businesses that were allowed to reopen on May 3. Outdoor exercises and non-contact sports were also allowed. The latest rounds of inspections conducted on May 10 found that 5,644 or or 30.4% out of the 18,512 venues which reopened on May 3 failed to comply with mandatory health guidelines, with 449 or 2.37% found to be ignoring hygiene practices. The numbers were slightly lower than violations found between May 3-9, during which 109,425 venues were checked, according to the CCSA. ======================================================================================================== International travel seen resuming in October From The Thaiger It’s not looking to good for Thailand’s tourism industry. This year will have the lowest numbers the country has seen in over a decade, and that’s assuming there’s some reopenings for international travel sometime later in the year. With the coronavirus pandemic freezing up international travel, the number of foreign tourists are expected to fall by 65% this year, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, TAT. The TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters that the best case scenario is that domestic tourism will start to improve in June or July, while foreign visitors should come in around October. That might be wishful thinking considering Thai schools are starting back up in July, some already starting with online classes, and no holiday break planned for the school year’s 8-month new “mega term”. Economists estimate families probably won’t be doing much traveling and will have little disposable income available anyway. Future travel restrictions will have an impact on any projected numbers, but it’s unclear what those would be. For now, incoming commercial flights are still banned until at least the end of the month to help contain the Covid-19 virus. Bottomline, predictions are very difficult at the moment as there are so many variable factors – the major one will be tourists’ willingness, or ability, to afford any travel following the huge impact of the pandemic. Also, some countries are still in the midst of their first wave of outbreaks.

From South China Morning Post Why are men more likely to get Covid-19? High levels of enzyme ACE2 may make infection easier Men’s blood has higher levels than women’s of a key enzyme the new coronavirus uses to infect cells, a finding which may help explain why men are more vulnerable to infection with Covid-19, the results of a big European study suggests. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is found in the heart, kidneys and other organs. In Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, it is thought to play a role in how the infection progresses into the lungs. The study, published in the European Heart Journal, also found that widely prescribed drugs called ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) did not lead to higher ACE2 concentrations and should therefore not increase the Covid-19 risk for people taking them. ACE inhibitors and ARBs are widely prescribed to patients with congestive heart failure, diabetes or kidney disease. The drugs account for billions of dollars in prescription sales worldwide. “Our findings do not support the discontinuation of these drugs in Covid-19 patients,” said Adriaan Voors, a professor of cardiology at the University Medical Centre (UMC) Groningen in The Netherlands, who co-led the study. Those prescribed these drugs should not stop taking them. The study had started before the coronavirus pandemic, the researchers said, and so did not include patients with Covid-19. But when other research began to point to ACE2 as key to the way the new coronavirus gets into cells, Voors and his team saw important overlaps with their study. Men’s blood has higher levels than women’s of a key enzyme the new coronavirus uses to infect cells, a finding which may help explain why men are more vulnerable to infection with Covid-19, the results of a big European study suggests. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is found in the heart, kidneys and other organs. In Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, it is thought to play a role in how the infection progresses into the lungs. “When we found that one of the strongest biomarkers, ACE2, was much higher in men than in women, I realised that this had the potential to explain why men were more likely to die from Covid-19 than women,” said Iziah Sama, a doctor at UMC Groningen who co-led the study. CE2 is a receptor on the surface of cells which binds to the new coronavirus and allows it to enter and infect cells. Sama and Voors noted that as well as in the lungs, ACE2 is found in the heart, kidneys, in tissues lining blood vessels, and in particularly high levels in the testes. They said its presence in the testes might partially explain higher ACE2 concentrations in men, and why men are more vulnerable to Covid-19.

From Bangkok Post Medical tourism drop hits Bumrungrad Hospital Bumrungrad Hospital Plc said the plunge in medical tourists traveling to Thailand amid the coronavirus pandemic has squeezed its business, as the majority of the health-care operator’s revenue typically comes from international patients. “The Covid-19 crisis is a very tough test for all businesses,” Chief Executive Officer Artirat Charukitpipat said in a written interview on Monday. “More than 50% of our patients used to come from overseas. They’ve now disappeared. The most important question is how we will get over this crisis. At Bumrungrad, agility runs in our blood. We have great staff, and they are ready to adjust.” The hospital helped pioneer Thailand’s medical-tourism industry about three decades ago. With its core patient base closed off, Bumrungrad has stepped up telemedicine as well as conducting at-home blood tests, vaccinations and drug deliveries, according to Ms Artirat. The hospital operator, whose flagship is in Bangkok, also implemented new residence programmes for those requiring quarantine or physical distancing, she said. In 2019, Bumrungrad treated “632,000 international medical episodes from over 180 countries”, with patients from Myanmar, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait accounting for the biggest share by revenue, according to the hospital’s website. Two-thirds of revenue came from non-Thai patients. Bumrungrad is currently the target of a pending takeover offer of about 85 billion baht by Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Plc, the largest hospital operator in Thailand, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Bumrungrad said in a filing to the stock exchange on Feb 27 that it was “surprised” by the bid.

From Bangkok Post Majority agree with easing Covid-19 restrictions: Poll A huge majority of people agree that the restrictions imposed to limit the spread of coronavirus should be relaxed now that the situation has much improved, according to the result of an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll. The poll was carried out on May 4-7 on 1,259 people aged 18 and above throughout the country to gauge their opinions about the measures which have been imposed by the government, including the lockdown of the country. Asked whether they thought that restrictions should now be relaxed, a huge majority - 83.95% - said "yes". Of them, 34.39% said they strongly agreed with the idea as the number of infections had dropped, people had cooperated with the health guidelines issued by the government and some businesses had been allowed to re-open. A further 49.56% were in more moderate agreement, saying the relaxation would enable people to return to a normal life and resume their work. =============================================================================================================== From Khaosod English Fishing Boats Seek 50,000 Workers as Virus Spurs Migrants to Leave BANGKOK (Xinhua) — Despite adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand’s fishing industry is currently looking to hire as many as 50,000 men to go out to sea aboard trawlers, said a senior government official on Saturday. Phithoon Damsakhon, chief of the Department of Employment’s provincial branch of Ranong in southern Thailand, quoted the National Fisheries Association of Thailand as reporting some 50,000 men are currently being sought for hire as skippers, mechanics and other crewmembers aboard fishing boats based in several coastal provinces of the country. Tens of thousands of Myanmar migrant workers, earlier employed by the fishing industry either on shore or offshore, have already left for their home country and many others are believed to follow suit, thus aggravating labor shortages in Thailand’s fishing sector, Phithoon said. Many of those migrant workers had been gradually upgraded from being unskilled employees to skilled ones until they have called it quits over the last several years, he said. He suggested the Thais, who might be currently jobless due to the pandemic situation, to go for such fishing occupations available aboard seagoing trawlers, many of which are being anchored off idly in Ranong and other coastal provinces.

From NYTimes John Singer Sargent’s Drawings Bring His Model Out of the Shadows The best exhibitions tell strong human stories, ones that we might not otherwise know. Such is the case with “Boston’s Apollo: Thomas McKeller and John Singer Sargent” at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, a small show that’s built around a sensational painting, and that has an unreadable relationship at its heart. The Gardner is, of course, in lockdown these days, and there’s no telling when that will end. But its show is compelling enough to make an impact even at a distance, through online images, a stirring short video, and an excellent book, all of which I recommend. The lead characters of the tale are named in the title, though in an order of importance that might baffle some historians. Surely, they would think, Sargent (1856-1925) should have been listed first. The European-born American was one of the art luminaries of his day, a power-portraitist to the elite on both sides of the Atlantic (Isabella Stewart Gardner was a repeat sitter) who commanded top prices for his attentions. Thomas Eugene McKeller (1890-1962) was a bellhop and elevator attendant at Boston’s deluxe Hotel Vendome, where Sargent often stayed, and one of the many beautiful men he hired as studio models. Among them, McKeller may have been the only African-American. And he was possibly one of the few models of whom Sargent would come to say, in a letter to a friend,“ I don’t know what I shall do without him.” The two men met in 1916, most likely at the Vendome, when Sargent was visiting from his home in London. At 60, the cosmopolitan bachelor — born in Florence, art-trained in Paris — was in the process of making a career transition from portraiture to the more prestigious genre of architectural decoration. Boston had become the staging place for that change. In 1890, the Boston Public Library invited Sargent to contribute allegorical murals to its interior. Next came an important commission from the Museum of Fine Arts (the M.F.A.) for mural cycles for the rotunda and grand staircase of its new building. Finally, Harvard University asked him to contribute monumental paintings to its Widener Memorial Library, commemorating student lives lost in World War I. Sargent’s response was yes, yes, and yes. It was for the M.F.A. project that Sargent first hired McKeller, whom he likely spotted at the Vendome. Then 26, McKeller had been born in Wilmington, N.C., when the city had had a thriving majority African-American population. And he was there, still a child, in 1898 when an explosion of anti-black violence changed all that. There was every reason for him to leave town and he eventually did, making his way to Boston where, after hotel work and a stint in the Army, he took a long-term post-office position, married at 44, and permanently settled down. (There may have been an additional reason for his departure from home. In the exhibition video, McKeller’s great-niece, Deidre O’Bryant suggests that McKeller was suspected of being gay. “To be gay was taboo,” she says, “even within your own family.”) Continues with additional drawings and a video https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/arts/design/john-singer-sargent-drawings-gardner-museum.html

From Bangkok Post Shopping malls, gyms and amusement parks, considered high-density venues, are expected to reopen next if the number of new Covid-19 infections continues to drop for another week. The Public Health Emergency Operation Centre held a meeting with representatives of eight business clusters in the kingdom to discuss preparations for the next stage of easing the coronavirus lockdown. The meeting was also attended by relevant agencies such as the Interior Ministry, the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the Public Health Ministry, City Hall and local governing bodies. It resulted in a nod for the reopening of shopping malls, restaurants and food shops in shopping malls, health and wellness businesses including spas and massage parlours, beauty salons, fitness centres and gymnasiums, meeting and seminar convention venues, film production locations, amusement parks and water parks. However, the number of new cases in the kingdom must stay low for another week before the businesses can reopen.

File under the more things change, the more they stay the same or TIT (your choice) Extracted from Bangkok Post In other news, the government has put on hold a proposal to remove China and South Korea from a list of "dangerous communicable disease zones", pending the decision of a panel of health experts. The proposal was made by Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul at a CCSA meeting on Thursday. CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin allayed concerns that the proposed removal would lead to an influx of Chinese and South Koreans who might bring the disease with them and spark a new infection wave. "Our measures remain the same. Inbound commercial flights are still banned," Dr Taweesilp said. "Visitors must have fit-to-fly health certificates. If they visit now, they must be quarantined at a state facility for 14 days." "Tourists would not enjoy visiting while these measures are in place," he added. Mr Anutin yesterday said he proposed to remove China and South Korea from the list because the two countries have managed to control the virus situation at home. He said the proposal was also made to boost diplomatic ties with China and South Korea, adding there would also be mutual support in terms of medical supplies distribution. Mr Anutin said the CCSA had agreed to remove them from the list in principle, but the panel of health experts will still review the proposal. "There are many layers of protection," he said. "Please do not worry about the matter."

Let's hope the good secretary is a better manager of finances than he is of flight schedules. For travel this Sunday, seats are available on flights out of Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco for Tokyo and Seoul.

From Coconuts Bangkok Only 250 passengers per train To keep people at arm’s length or more aboard the BTS Skytrain, transportation authorities today ordered train capacity cut by three-quarters. After Tuesday morning’s breakdown created worrying scenes of packed platforms and bogies that drew criticism from commuters unable to practice social distancing, the Transport Ministry today said only 250 rather than 1,000 passengers would be allowed to board each train of four cars. “Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we must practice social distancing, therefore we cannot pack all 1,000 people into a single train,” Chaiwat Tongkamkoon, permanent transport secretary, said Friday. Passengers must stay 1 meter apart to help decrease the risk of COVID-19 infection. Chaiwat said the BTS operator has increased frequency of train arrivals to accommodate commuters during rush hours, with the Sukhumvit Line running trains every 2.4 minutes and the Silom Line roughly every 3.5 minutes. Currently the BTS Skytrain operates 98 trains, each of which has four cars, making for 392 cars in total. Chaiwat did not elaborate on how the measures would be enforced, nor did he discuss how platforms would be kept safe if the reduced capacity led to longer waits.

From Bangkok Post hailand’s CP Group will oversee the Cambodian debut of 7-Eleven convenience stores next year under a master franchise agreement with 7-Eleven Inc, the US subsidiary of 7-Eleven Japan Co. CP All Plc, the conglomerate’s SET-listed retail arm, has concluded a deal with the US firm to operate 7-Eleven stores through CP All (Cambodia) Co beginning in 2021. The first outlet will open in Phnom Penh, a spokeswoman for the Japanese retail group Seven & I Holdings Co said. Stores in Cambodia will offer products such as beverages and snacks found around the world as well as locally suited, ready-to-eat fresh food items. The Japanese retail group also plans to advance into the Indian market within this year, the spokeswoman added.

From Bangkok Post Govt mulls easing more curbs Shopping malls and large retail outlets selling construction materials will be allowed to reopen as lockdown mea­sures are eased further on May 17 if there is no surge in new infections. China and South Korea will also be the first countries to be removed from a list of the government's dangerous communicable disease zones. The issues were discussed at a meeting of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, the CCSA spokesman, said the centre will gather opinions about the next round of disease control relaxation from today until next Tuesday and draft the relaxation measures next Thursday. "The next stage of relaxation will begin on May 17 unless the number of new Covid-19 cases soars," he said. "If the situation is brought under control, shopping malls will be allowed to reopen. If each business can maintain [strict social distancing] measures, malls and other businesses can also resume operations. However, this also depends on cooperation from the people," Dr Taweesilp said. Sukhum Karnchanapimai, permanent secretary for public health, said large retail outlets selling construction materials and furniture may also be allowed to reopen in the next stage because buildings and houses in several provinces have been destroyed and damaged by natural disasters and their owners badly need to buy new materials. Moreover, the CCSA agreed with a proposal by Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul that countries where the Covid-19 crisis has eased can be removed from the government's list of dangerous communicable disease zones. Mr Anutin told the meeting the proposed de-listing will help normalise Thailand's relations with them. However, it was also agreed that the de-listing process must be gradual and that people from those de-listed countries will not be allowed to enter Thailand straight away. Meanwhile, the CCSA on Thursday reported three new coronavirus cases, all Thais, bringing the total in Thailand to 2,992. No additional deaths were reported, leaving the accumulated toll at 55. ======================================================================================== From Coconuts Bangkok Chatuchak Market reopens this weekend After being closed over a month, the popular weekend destination Chatuchak Market will resume operations Saturday Wanlaya Wattanarat of City Hall said yesterday that the outdoor flea market would be allowed to reopen this weekend, with some mandatory restrictions including limited opening hours and social-distancing measures due to the coronavirus outbreak. All shoppers and vendors must wear face masks while distance must be maintained between each person. Hand sanitizer will be installed at several spots in the sprawling complex. People are encouraged to order food for takeaway. Restaurants or stalls wishing to seat diners must provide seats at least 1.5 meters apart from each other. Despite the measures announced, it is difficult to imagine any meaningful enforcement at the sprawling marketplace which on a typical day teems with shoppers squeezing past each other in narrow lanes. Operating hours will limited to 5am to 6pm, as a national overnight curfew remains in place, Wanlaya said.

From The Nation Air force provides anti-covid barriers for use in taxis The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has designed and presented special barriers to five taxi fleets in Bangkok for use in preventing the spread of the coronavirus disease between the driver and passengers in the backseat. The RTAF made the initial barriers, which can be easily installed and removed without the need for modications to the vehicle. The barriers are intended to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease virus and boost the confidence of both passengers and drivers. A team of aeronautical engineers prepared the blueprint and have given it to the taxi fleet operators, so they can have more of them made themselves. They were based on aircraft bulkhead barriers. The air force engineers used the Toyota Altis 2017-2018 model, which is common intaxi fleets, as their standard for the barriers. They are made from sheets of polycarbonate, which is transparent and durable. Each includes six ventilating fans with a high efficiency particulate air filter. They include a special opening where passengers can pass through the fare. The materials for making the barriers are readily available. The air force puts the cost at around 2,700 baht each.

Pattaya blocks all access to beaches to avoid second wave In a move to prevent a second wave of infections, Pattaya City has decided to block all access to beaches despite the easing of restrictions. Jeerawat Sukontasub, chief of the Pattaya Municipality, said municipal authorities and local agencies have blocked nine beach entrances, including the two leading to the 2-kilometre-long Pattaya Beach. Access to Jomtien, Phra Tamnak, Cozy, Wong Amat and Krating Rai beaches as well as Lan Pho Nakluea Park and the Bali Hai Pier has been blocked. The areas will be strictly closed off from May 9 to 31 from 9am to 9pm daily and officers will be on standby to keep an eye. Violators will be let off with a warning the first time, but repeat offenders will face a heavy penalty.