Thai island and coastal news wrap for August 15-29, 2021
Island Wrap #51
Welcome to the Island Wrap, a bi-weekly summary of news related to Thai islands and coastal areas. If you haven’t yet, why not sign up to get islands in your inbox?
This edition of the Island Wrap covers a seemingly improving Covid-19 situation as some containment measures are eased, interprovincial public transport reopens and more destinations prepare to welcome international tourists. You’ll also find news on flooding along the upper Gulf, dugongs turning up in unexpected places, a fatal jellyfish attack off Ko Phangan and a whole lot more.
First, a reminder that at least one article per week will be accessible to paying subscribers only starting September 20th. The subscription price will go up slightly then, so do upgrade soon if you want to lock in a year of paid Thai Island Times content for only $5 USD per month or $50 for a full year. Many thanks to those who already upgraded — I couldn’t keep this thing going without your support.
My latest travel articles cover Bang Saray, with the first offering an overview of this low-key fishing town near Pattaya and the second introducing you to the many Navy-controlled islands and beaches in nearby Sattahip, including a stop at gorgeous Hat Sai Kaew. I also took a deep dive into the question of whether Thailand should suspend its international tourism reopening programs.
Covid-19 update
Daily confirmed cases in Thailand fell below 20,000 for the first time in nearly three weeks on August 23rd and hit a one-month low of 16,536 yesterday. While some observers are skeptical due in part to an increasing use of rapid antigen testing kits that can be used at home, away from the eyes of health officials, many others believe that Thailand has turned a corner and is on its way to recovery.
Daily Covid-19 deaths sadly stayed in the 250 to 300 range this past week, but the numbers of patients in serious condition and on ventilators — at 5,093 and 1,067 respectively as of yesterday — have finally been declining. A seemingly manageable 15,573 Covid-19 patients are being treated in hospitals, though 158,000 more are staying at home or in “hospitels” and community isolation centers.
Another jolt of good news came when an all-time high of 915,738 vaccinations were administered on August 27th. Inoculations often reached above 600,000 on recent weekdays, pushing Thailand’s fully vaccinated rate above 10% with over 32% having received a first dose so far.
The optimism was bolstered when AstraZeneca representatives hinted that Thailand’s order of 61 million doses could be fulfilled by the end of this year, rather than by mid 2022 as previously stated. Combined with existing supplies and orders placed with Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Sinovac, the AstraZeneca revelation offers hope that Thailand can fully vaccinate at least 50 million people by year’s end.
Meanwhile, the first human trials of an mRNA vaccine being developed by researchers at Chulalongkorn University showed “promising results.” Human trials of an inactivated chimeric vaccine under development by the Government Pharmaceutical Organization are now in the second stage, while a protein subunit vaccine developed by Chulalongkorn University and Baiya Phytopharm Company is expected to enter the human trial phase soon. The hope is that these “homegrown vaccines” will ease Thailand’s reliance on foreign suppliers next year.
But we’re far from out of the woods just yet. Last week, Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking listed Thailand as the worst out of all countries. Villages and markets are still being locked down as some communities and families shun members who have recovered from Covid-19. Vulnerable groups — including migrant children, seafood workers and sex workers — are falling through the cracks.
And the situation has not improved in some of Thailand’s islands. Phuket officials reported an all-time high of 210 new cases yesterday and 1,824 over the last two weeks, with more than 1,500 patients now receiving care on the island. Nearly 150 cases surfaced on Ko Samui, and several more on nearby Ko Phangan, over the fortnight. Over in the eastern Gulf, 18 cases were found on Ko Chang (Trat) over recent days as well. Daily case counts also remain high in several coastal provinces, particularly Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Prachuap Khiri Khan.
In other pandemic-related news:
Thailand to shift strategy to ‘learning to live with Covid-19’ — Bloomberg via Bangkok Post:
“The focus going forward will be on containing infections to a level that doesn’t exceed capacity of the public-health system, with key measures being total vaccination coverage for vulnerable groups and faster case-tracing on the assumption that everyone can become infected and transmit the virus,” according to Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control.
Thai monks volunteer on Covid-19 front line as cases surge — Scott Heidler for Al Jazeera (video):
Also covered in this two-minute video report is a class action lawsuit filed by Thai massage shop owners who claim the Thai government is negligent for forcing the shops to close without providing sufficient financial support.
Thailand’s Covid-19 crisis exposes the reality of ‘2% unemployment’ — Masayuki Yuda for Nikkei Asia:
An interview with a Phuket tour guide helps make the case that Thailand’s low unemployment numbers, which the government often cites as a sign of economic health, mask a precarious financial situation for millions of Thais.
How Asia became a Delta hot spot — Timothy McLaughlin for The Atlantic:
This insightful article includes quotes from Jarret Wrisley, who was forced to close his once-successful Bangkok restaurant, Soul Food Mahanakorn, due to Covid-19 restrictions and a lack of financial support for small businesses.
Phuket requests 470,000 vaccine doses as booster shots — The Phuket News:
Provincial officials are already calling for booster vaccine access in the only Thai province with a vaccination rate above 70%.
Two Samui party-goers nabbed during raid test positive for Covid-19 — Supapong Chaolan for Bangkok Post:
One of those who tested positive was the Austrian owner (not Australian as the article says) of the property where police raided a party attended by 24 people on Ko Samui on August 21st, breaking Covid-19 rules. Police also broke up illegal merriment gatherings in Pattaya and on Ko Phangan.
Containment measures
Some of the strictest Covid-19 restrictions imposed in Thailand since the pandemic began are to be eased on September 1st. The 9:00 PM to 4:00 AM curfew will stay in the 29 “dark-red” provinces, but parks, malls, restaurants, salons and most shops are allowed to reopen at limited capacity, with no alcohol served in restaurants.
Initially the proposed rules included a caveat that customers must show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test result to enter restaurants and some shops, leaving business owners “fuming.” This provision was left out of the official announcement in the Royal Gazette, however, effectively leaving this difficult-to-enforce rule at the discretion of each provincial governor.
Airlines and public bus companies have also been cleared to restart their services on September 1st, though rules that require travelers to be vaccinated and/or tested for Covid-19 before entering many provinces are likely to remain for September, which is shaping up as a transitional month. Phuket’s controversial ban on domestic travel entry is staying put. I’ve not yet heard if Ko Phangan and Ko Samui will keep requiring travelers from dark-red provinces to present a “letter of necessity to travel.”
Bangkok Airways flights between Phuket and Ko Samui resumed on August 25th, reopening an outlet for travelers who enter Thailand via the Phuket Sandbox program. Lomprayah, one of the main ferry services connecting Don Sak to Ko Samui, Ko Phangan and Ko Tao, is shutting down until December 1st. Bookings are being transferred to the smaller Lomlahk Khirin high-speed ferry.
It’s unclear if islands that were closed to nearly all travel for all or most of August, such as Ko Lipe, Ko Larn and Ko Phayam, will start allowing some access after the 1st. The economic situation became so dire on Ko Lipe that the charity One Phuket is coordinating with Satun Pakbara Speedboat Club to donate food and supplies to hundreds of families in need on the little island in Satun.
Some of Thailand’s national parks, including marine parks like Mu Ko Ang Thong, Sirinat and Ao Phang nga, have already reopened.
Tourism reopening
Tourism authority tests the water with rules for seven destinations — Narumon Kasemsuk for Bangkok Post:
Hua Hin appears to be positioning itself as a worthy alternative to the Phuket Sandbox through its Hua Hin Recharge program, which would be less restrictive than Samui Plus and the reopening programs being considered for Pattaya and Chiang Mai. The tentative plan is to open these destinations — and perhaps Cha-am — to inbound travelers with minimal quarantine from October. Officials on Ko Chang (Trat) also have a plan to reboot the local tourism industry. And don’t forget that anyone entering Thailand through the Phuket Sandbox can now spend their second week in Khao Lak, Ko Phi Phi, Ko Ngai or any of several other spots.
New Phuket order revises conditions for suspending Sandbox program — The Phuket News:
Officials ignored the old conditions that were set in June so it comes as no surprise that the revisal was written in vague language and hidden at the bottom of an order that focuses more on clarifying the 7+7 extension of the Phuket Sandbox. Phuket’s Covid-19 case numbers have been among the highest of all Southern Thai provinces over the last few days, but the Sandbox marches on.
UK puts Thailand on travel ‘red’ list, quarantine required — Coconuts Bangkok:
Throwing a wrench into the plans of British travelers as well as the inbound tourism reopening efforts of the Thai government, the status change means that Britons who fly home from Thailand will be subjected to a mandatory 10-day hotel quarantine and multiple Covid-19 tests after arrival. The UK was second behind the US among Phuket Sandbox source markets in July.
Getting to Ko Phangan through Samui Sandbox scheme — Cyrus comes back again! — Phanganist:
Find out what it was like for a UK national to return to his home on Ko Phangan via the Samui Plus (it’s not a sandbox!) program.
Weather
Pattaya residents make the best out of flooded streets, more rain coming — Goong Nang for The Pattaya News:
Pattaya got its share of rain but the worst of the flooding came in nearby Samut Prakan, where the water was deep enough to nearly submerge entire cars in the Bang Pu industrial complex. Heavy rain also fell on Phuket, Phang Nga and several other provinces as most of Thailand enters the depths of wet season.
German tourists rescued after kayak blown off Phuket — The Phuket News:
The pair phoned their resort for help after they managed to reach Ko Thanan, 1.7 km off Ao Yon on Phuket. Over on Phuket’s Surin Beach, lifeguards rescued another foreigner from the grip of “a dangerous rip current.”
Environment and wildlife
Israeli boy, 9, dies in Thailand after jellyfish sting — The Times of Israel:
The tragic encounter with what is thought to be a box jellyfish happened in shallow water off Haad Rin yesterday. My condolences to the boy’s family, who I understand are residents of Ko Phangan. Several box jellyfish, one of the most venomous creatures on earth, were also recently spotted off Ko Kood in the eastern Gulf. (Read this for info on box jellyfish stings and how best to treat them.)
Tiny sea turtle washes up with 158 pieces of trash in stomach — Teirra Kamolvattanavith for Vice:
In a more recent article about the very same green sea turtle, The Phuket News writes that the amount of trash excreted by the turtle had amounted to 349 pieces weighing 127 grams — all from an animal that’s only 28 cm long. In better sea turtle news last week, 100 hatchlings emerged from a nest laid by a green sea turtle back on July 6th at Khuk Khak Beach in Phang Nga province, north of Phuket.
Father and son fishermen rescue a leopard shark in Krabi — 77Kaoded (Thai language):
The two natives of Ko Klang mistakenly pulled the rare 30- to 40-kg spotted shark onto their longtail boat before cutting it from the net and releasing it.
Dugong found dead near the mouth of a canal on Ko Libong — DNP News (Thai language / government):
No wounds were found on the relatively young dugong’s carcass and, as with a second dugong body found six days later at nearby Ko Mook, the cause of death has not been determined as far as I know. In some better dugong news, these close cousins of the manatee were reportedly spotted munching on seagrass near Ko Lawa Yai, a small island northeast of Phuket where dugongs are rarely seen.
Sterilization drive targets rogue monkeys — Chaiwat Satyaem for Bangkok Post:
“This year the campaign aims to capture and sterilize 600 of the estimated 3,000 macaques who are blamed for break-ins and damaged houses, theft and pestering residents of Khao Hin Lek Fai community and visitors to the adjoining monkey park [in Prachuap Khiri Khan province].”
Pick of the Wrap
It’s back by popular demand! I’ve decided to keep picking out websites, social media posts, videos, charities and other bits and bobs that you might find interesting or funny. Or both, as is the case for this pick. Scientist Dr. David Shiffman’s tweet reveals how manatees (and dugongs) are able to easily sink to the seafloor to feast on the weedy greens before rising up to catch a breath:
Food and travel
The good people of Yala — Stuart McDonald for Couchfish:
This is one of two compelling stories about Stuart’s visit to a deep Southern Thai province that most travelers avoid unless they’re heading to Betong and from there into Malaysia. In nearby Pattani, which is also typically avoided by travelers due to an often-bloody conflict that has persisted for many years, Stuart hones in on the intricate patterns painted on boats parked along Talor Kapor Beach.
Surrounded by sharks in Thailand — Vagabonding Life:
Travel writer Greg Rodgers takes you to Ko Tao’s “Shark Bay” for the thrill of wading in water filled with harmless black-tip reef sharks.
Digital nomad history — James Clark for Nomadic Notes:
I spotted Bangkok and Chiang Mai several times in this exhaustive recap of digital nomadism from 1964 to the present. While I didn’t notice any Thai islands mentioned, I can all but guarantee that Ko Phangan, Ko Lanta and other islands that attract remote workers are covered in some of the linked articles.
In other news
Court finds gunman guilty of attempted assassination of land rights defender — Protection International (PI) via Prachatai:
The Wiang Sa Provincial Court found Somphon Chimrueng guilty for the 2020 attempted murder of Dam Onmuang, who was defending the land rights of rural farmers in Surat Thani province against a large palm oil company. The plight of the Sai Pattana community has been gaining more attention of late, thanks in part to an August 3rd Eater story that was included in the last Island Wrap. Still, other perpetrators of the brutal assassinations of four more lands rights activists involved in the Sai Pattana struggle have not yet been brought to justice.
650 kg of crystal meth found floating off Trang — Bangkok Post:
This was the largest of several discoveries of illicit drugs found floating or washed up on beaches as smugglers revert to the seas due to difficulties of overland travel with Covid-19 travel restrictions in effect across Thailand.
Cannabis cultivation for medical purposes in Satun province — Thailand PRD (government):
“Satun Governor Ekkarat Leesen recently presided over a ceremony to cut a cannabis cola, or bud, marking the start of boosting cannabis cultivation in Satun for medical purposes.” These are certainly interesting times in Thailand.
Kratom can be grown legally, leaves sold commercially from August 24th — Thai PBS World:
Popular throughout Thailand and particularly the South, the mild stimulant found in kratom leaves is now a legal cash crop. More than 1,000 inmates currently doing jail time for kratom-related offenses are being released.
Fire at Nirvana Resort on Ko Chang — @iamKohChang (social media):
I wasn’t able to find a proper article about the fire in what appears to be the family rooms at Nirvana, one of my favorite midrange resorts on Ko Chang (Trat), but trustworthy Ian posted a photo of the damage on Twitter. I feel for the owners, who have already endured a year and a half with little to no business.
Pattaya Beach remodel project paused after several prominent residents protest — Goong Nang for The Pattaya News:
“Thousands of residents are hungry and on the streets, this is not the time to do a remodel,” said Ms. Jidapa Tanahatthachai. In addition to the poor timing, activists are upset about the removal of several old trees along the beachfront.
Crystal Skywalk, a new landmark planned for Surat Thani — Like to Travel (video / Thai language):
Speaking of publicly funded projects that might not be necessary, this video lays out the ambitious plans for a 290-meter suspension bridge with a glass floor that would enable pedestrians to easily walk or bicycle from downtown Surat Thani to the public park on Ko Lamphu, a small island set in the Tapi River. Construction is expected to begin in 2022 with a budget of 315 million baht.
Betong Airport set to open next month — Karnjana Karnjanatawe for Bangkok Post:
The airport at this popular mountain town near the Malaysia border in Yala was completed earlier this year, but reopening was delayed when no airlines wanted to fly there. Now it appears that Nok Air might be the first. 🌴
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I love these news wraps. Thanks for the mention!