‘Pantry of Sharing’: community pantries help Thais in need during COVID-19

A group of volunteers recently launched a ‘Pantry of Sharing’ initiative, where they share non-perishable food items and basic hygiene supplies, including feminine hygiene products, toothpaste, and toilet paper, to others who are in need during the outbreak. The concept is based on a simple idea that those who can afford to give do so while those in need are encouraged to stop by and take what they need.

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TCEB BACKS VIRTUAL EVENTS

TCEB launches a “Virtual Meeting Space” project, providing support for MICE entrepreneurs by running business events online via a virtual platform.

In addition to the core project, TCEB will launch a programme, Covid-19 Free Meetings, to MICE venues to upgrade their safety and health standards. The two projects are in response to the spread of the Covid-19 and global lockdown, which put real-time events and activities to a halt.

Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau president, Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya said the two projects were part of the government’s economic relief measures to support MICE entrepreneurs and the workforce.

Other elements include tax reduction, an extension of the tax filing period, higher tax deduction, reducing interest rate for debt, soft loan, the extension of electricity bill payment and wage compensation.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the postponement and cancellation of MICE events worldwide.  Online or virtual platform has become an alternative for events that can ensure business survival,” the TCEB president explained.

“Thai entrepreneurs need to adapt themselves to such business platforms. In this respect, TCEB has designed two key projects. The first one “Virtual Meeting Space” (VMS) is to enable Thai MICE entrepreneurs to continue their business and to re-skill their workforce and the other, “Covid-19 Free Meetings”, to assist MICE venue operators in upgrading the safety standard of their facilities”.

Virtual Meeting Space

For the “Virtual Meeting Space” or VMS project, TCEB will provide support for holding events on an online platform in three categories:

Webinar

TCEB will support in the preparation and management of this online platform. This includes production and preparation of a studio for LIVE, as well as, technical co-ordination and system monitoring during LIVE. The organizers can run their slide presentation during the meeting session, while interaction to share experiences, discussion with the speaker, Q&A and a poll or survey can be conducted. The session can cater up to 10,000 attendees at a time.

O2O
(Offline to Online)

This platform caters to exhibitions. TCEB will support in the arrangement and management of an online platform for exhibitors, as well as, support for LIVE streaming from either a studio or the organizer’s venue. The support covers sequencing, production, controlling, system monitoring during LIVE streaming and preparation of technical co-ordination.

Exhibitors can showcase their activities, products and services as needed. The online payment system is also equipped to boost sales volume.

E-Learning Platform

It is an online learning centre for MICE entrepreneurs to re-skill or up-skill their workforce. There are six courses from May to October 2020 by Southeast Asia Centre or SEAC on YourNextU platform.

The subjects led by experts are:
1. Project Management;
2. Inter-personnel Skills;
3. Management;
4. Communication;
5. Entrepreneurship;
6. Digital. Learners will receive a certification from TCEB if they complete course requisites.

TCEB welcomes application from 250 MICE entrepreneurs and the VMS project will begin this May.

Contact MICE Intelligence and Innovation Department, TCEB, at Email: vms@tceb.or.th

For the second project, “Covid-19 FREE Meetings”, TCEB will provide a THB30,000 subsidy for MICE premise to formulate plans and prepare tools that fit the measures in the screening and prevention of Covid-19 stipulated by the Ministry of Public Health.

For example, it involves the installation of body temperature monitoring systems and the screening of body temperature before participation. The project aims to safety confidence in the venues.

To be eligible to gain support, the venue must be certified with Thailand MICE Venue Standard (TMVS) or hotel entrepreneurs must be a member of the Thai Hotel Association.

TCEB forecasts that the project will be able to support up to 216 MICE venues nationwide under the THB 6,480,000 budget.

Covid-19 FREE Meetings project will be running from April to June 2020.

Enquiry and registration for support can be made with MICE Capabilities Department, TCEB, at email: MICEstandards@gmail.com

“Apart from the two projects, TCEB has also set up a Covid-19 Information Centre to monitor and assess information, especially the impacts of the disease on the MICE industry.

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TAT INTRODUCES ‘AMAZING THAILAND SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION’ CERTIFICATION

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), in collaboration with the public and private sector partners, is introducing an “Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration: SHA” certification aimed at elevating the country’s tourism industry standards and developing confidence among international and domestic tourists.

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Covid-19: Khiri Reach Helps Communities Across Southeast Asia

Khiri Reach, the charitable arm of Khiri Travel, has been active helping communities in Asia impacted by the Covid-19 crisis.

Its focus has been on marginalized communities, many of them in long-standing relationships with Khiri Travel, such as local families, artisans or community based projects that were regularly visited by tours before lockdown.

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Tourism Levy Mulled

The Tourism and Sports Ministry is considering a tax of 300 baht or less per person for foreign arrivals that could cover pandemic insurance, once inbound flights and tourism activities resume in the country.

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Thai Travel Association Seeks Government Financial Support Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has called on the government to provide financial support for the tourist industry which has been hardly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

ATTA President Vichit Prakobkosol confirmed on Sunday that he had recently discussed with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha the current pandemic situation, which has considerably affected tourism and travel firms, and asked for help from the government.

The ATTA president asked the government to provide a sum of 10 billion baht (about 309.59 million U.S. dollars) in soft loan for hotels, resorts and other tourism-related businesses in addition to the same amount of a loan earlier offered by the Government Savings Bank.

The ATTA president also asked the government to cut or temporarily lift the 7 percent value-added tax collectible from tourism-related businesses, extend the three-months period for the government-given compensation pay amounting to a maximum of 62 percent of the daily wages of employees, who have been hired by hotels and other tourism-related businesses and currently jobless due to the pandemic.

In addition, Vichit asked the government to allow travel firms to make extra earnings by organizing seminars, conferences and tourism-related activities for government agencies and local administrative organizations throughout the country.

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Thai Domestic Flights Resume Amid Tighter Regulations

Thailand has allowed domestic air travel to resume, with Nok Air, AirAsia, Thai Lion Air and Thai Vietjet Air returning to the air last Friday.

The flights were operated between 14 airports and Bangkok’s Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi. The 14 airports are in Lampang, Mae Sot (Tak), Phitsanulok, Buri Ram, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Roi Et, Khon Kaen, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani and Krabi.

All domestic flights are operating under strict requirements, including social distancing (for example during embarkation and disembarkation) as well as compulsory face masks for all passengers and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) gear for flight crew.

Nattapong Saengsirirattana, managing director of Thai Leisure Co., told TTG Asia that at this stage, there would still be little to no likelihood of domestic tourism.

“We haven’t reached that stage yet. With the current inter-provincial travel regulations, it’s too difficult,” he said, referencing the increased inspections and forced quarantines upon entry in provinces such as Buri Ram or Phitsanulok.

In those provinces, upon arrival, travellers wishing to remain in the province must self-quarantine for 14 days. Their identification documents will be withheld by the authority during the quarantine.

In Nakhon Phanom, non-Thais are altogether barred from entering unless permitted by the governor, and in Krabi, non-residents are barred from entering unless certified to be free from the coronavirus from the point of origin. Travellers without a health certificate will be quarantined at local quarantine centres at their own expense.

Non-residents, except those with proven work commitments in the province, are prohibited from entering Trang.

All provincial governors have been allowed to implement their own measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19, provided those measures are as strict or stricter than those prescribed by the national-level Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

Nattapong opined that airlines resuming operations would face costs challenges.

“With social distancing measures, small planes would most likely be able to fit a maximum of two passengers per row, seated at the window. Due to the new restrictions, they’re also losing income from in-flight F&B purchases,” he said, musing that airfares might rise to cover higher costs.

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May 17 Target for Shopping Centres to Re-open

The rumours have been flying since this week’s cabinet meeting about the next raft of re-openings as Thailand’s economy starts to plod back into gear. Now, after a meeting yesterday of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, there’s general consensus that shopping centres and retail stores will be able to re-open on Sunday, May 17. Of course the caveat is that, between now and then, there is no resurgence of the virus in Thailand.

“The next stage of relaxation will begin on May 17 unless the number of new Covid-19 cases soars,” according to Taweesilp Visanuyothin, the CCSA spokesman.

Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha discussed the next lot od re-openings with the CSSA yesterday. The committee will collect information about the proposal until next Tuesday’s cabinet meeting and make an announcement next Thursday.

In another proposal, the CCSA heard from Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul that other countries where the Covid-19 crisis has eased could be removed from the government’s list of “at risk” disease zones. China and South Korea would be the first countries to be removed from a list of the government’s dangerous communicable disease zones, given their containment efforts and low numbers of new cases over the past month.

The permanent secretary for public health also reported that 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”.

The CCSA also agreed to maintain strict conditions on Thai repatriates and efforts to curb any gatherings of people, which have been the main factors in Covid-19 infections in Thailand’s past two months experience with Covid 19.

“Most local infection cases in the country came from infected returnees and people in close contact with them.”

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