Thailand

The government has delayed its decision to buy washable face masks from domestic garment factories, with producers left waiting for purchase orders after the government failed to decide which state agencies would shoulder the expense. The government previously asked garment factories to sell masks for five baht a piece, much lower than the production cost of 50-100 baht depending on …

Tourism operators are urging the state to impose a two-week lockdown to keep the coronavirus from spreading to provincial areas and creating a deeper impact on the economy. It’s not too late to put the country into a complete lockdown, closing both land and air connections for two weeks or up to one month, as an urgent measure to tackle …

The Ministry of Public Health insists there will be sufficient hospital beds to accommodate Covid-19 patients, saying 400 will be ready in hospitals in Bangkok by this week. Dr Somsak Akhasilp, director-general of the Department of Medical Services under the ministry, told media on Tuesday that the public had no reason to worry about a shortage of hospital beds to …

Millions of people woke up confused, confined and frustrated in the Philippines on Tuesday, as a sweeping home quarantine order kicked in with just a few hours of warning, and Southeast Asia prepared tighter measures against a surge in coronavirus cases. With many unaware that half the population of 107 million had been told to stay home for a month, …

The Svay Rieng administration hall has officially announced the cancellation of the Angkor Sankranta Festival, a four-day celebration of the Khmer New Year held in April, as Covid-19 fears mount in the kingdom. The province is the second to do so following Siem Reap province’s cancellation earlier this month. “All public officials and citizens must be notified the Angkor Sankranta …

The United States and China on Monday each demanded that the other stop smearing its reputation over the novel coronavirus as Donald Trump referred to the pathogen as the “Chinese Virus”. “The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus,” the US president tweeted Monday night. Trump’s allies …

The Philippine stock exchange chief said he plans to reopen the $188 billion market on Thursday, signaling a quick resumption of trading after the country became the first to shut financial markets in response to the widening coronavirus pandemic. The controversial move to halt trading came amid mounting speculation that other countries may take similar measures as stocks around the …

Unsettled disputes between tour operators and airlines may exacerbate the tourism situation in Thailand by forcing outbound wholesalers to exit the market, with more layoffs. The global coronavirus pandemic has created significant impacts to global tourism as the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has predicted a contraction of international arrivals by 1-3% with an estimated loss of US$30-50 billion in receipts, …

International travellers landing in Beijing will be quarantined for 14 days at their own expense, authorities in the Chinese capital announced on Sunday, as governments around the world introduced new restrictions to contain a coronavirus pandemic. From Monday, everybody entering Beijing from outside the country will be transferred to a central isolation facility for 14 days of observation, Chen Bei, …

Asian stocks and US stock futures tumbled as central banks took sweeping action to blunt the financial impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Italy’s government will meet Monday to pass a new package of measures after deaths jumped by 368 Sunday. The Federal Reserve slashed rates to near zero and the Bank of Japan strengthened stimulus.  Airlines cut flights and could …