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COVID-19 Impact on Thai Labor Market

Unemployment is a looming concern. According to NSO’s data, the unemployment rate has increased to 2 percent in Q2 of 2020. This is more than three times Thailand’s jobless rate for the last decade, which hovered around 0.6%. The Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) estimated that 8.4 million jobs would be at risk from the COVID-19 outbreak in Q2 and Q3 of 2020, in addition to the six million farmers already impacted by drought. Thailand’s key sectors have been especially hit.

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Image: Motorbike taxi in Thailand by ibeeckmans | CC Search under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Dashboard: COVID-19 and Thai Labor Market

Some major findings from Labor Force Survey data of Thailand National Statistics Office (NSO) showed that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted on jobs.

During the Q1 and Q2 of 2020, the virus impact was accelerating around the world. With the country put under lockdown from mid-March till June 2020, the COVID-19 impact on workers showed a significant change in the Q2.

View the full dashboard >>

Data Literacy Training

Thailand’s civil society representatives completed East-West Management Institute’s (EWMI) data literacy training program from February to June 2020. This training in Thailand was tailored for participants from the forestry sector to advocate for improved forest governance. They included representatives from Baan Non Toom Thaworn Community Forest, Self-organized Land Reform Network, Citizen Forest Network, Chiang Mai Community Organisation Council, Raks Thai Foundation, RECOFTC Thailand, and Western Community Radio Network.

All participants were sponsored by the Voices for Mekong Forests (V4MF) project, a five-year initiative funded by the EU. Read the full story.

Participants were very supportive of each other during the training. (This photo was taken during the first phase in February 2020.)

Pandemics / COVID-19

Thailand was the first country outside of China to have confirmed a patient with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection on 13 January 2020. On March 1, 2020, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) designated COVID-19 as a dangerous communicable disease under the Communicable Diseases Act B.E. 2558 (2015). An emergency in all areas of the Kingdom of Thailand was declared by the Thai Prime Minister on March 20, 2020, pursuant to the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in emergency situations. The emergency period was originally to last until April 30, 2020, until further announcement of relax measures.

Forest Policy and Admistration

Thailand’s forests are governed under a system of laws and policies that has evolved over the past few decades to place a greater emphasis on conservation and sustainable management. Though challenges of implementation, participation, and community usage rights persist, governance can be considered a positive factor in Thai forest health.

Forests and Forestry

In 2018, forest products accounted for roughly 118 billion Thai Baht (3.9 billion USD) in exports—or about 1.2% of all exported goods and services. That figure does not include either the value of domestic consumption of forest products or the ecosystem services forests provide.

Call for national researchers - Global Data Barometer

Open Data for Development Asia Hub (D4DAsia) is currently seeking independent, country-level researchers in Asia. Please see this post for more information.

https://thailand.opendevelopmentmekong.net/topics/sustainable-development-goals/

More restrictions to be enforced in Bangkok from April 18

17 April 2021

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Friday announced additional measures in a bid to contain the Covid-19 outbreak, in line with the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s decision to place Bangkok and 17 other provinces in red zone, or highest control area.“In the red zone ...

 The Nation Reporter

Council hints at layoffs

17 April 2021

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) estimates the industry’s unemployment rate in the second quarter could reach between 2-2.5 million as reopening plans might be delayed if the government cannot flatten the virus curve within a month.Chamnan Srisawat, president of TCT, said staff had been ...

 Bangkok Post Reporter

Feel the people’s power flow

17 April 2021

Amid the jubilation, there was a brief moment of uneasiness. Last September, during a ceremony to award the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Equator Prize held at the Boon Rueang wetland forest in Chiang Rai province, participants noticed the ground was much drier than it ...

No curfew, gatherings banned for 2 weeks

16 April 2021

Authorities have decided against a curfew but schools will be closed while large gatherings and other high-risk activities will be suspended for two weeks from Sunday to control the fast-spreading new Covid-19 outbreak.Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has also ordered officials to seek more sources of ...

 Bangkok Post Reporter

Covid-19 situation in Thailand could determine baht's value

16 April 2021

The baht opened at 31.17 to the US dollar on Friday, strengthening from its close of 31.49 on Monday.The Thai currency is likely to move between 31.15 and 31.25 during the day, Krungthai Bank market strategist Poon Panichpibool said.He expected the baht to strengthen due ...

 The Nation Reporter

New housing policy for Thailand’s low-income sector approved

16 April 2021

The state enterprise policy committee on Friday approved the National Housing Authority’s house-rental project for the low-income sector.The committee, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, agreed that 100,000 homes be provided over the next five years or 20,000 per year. The houses will be in ...

 The Nation Reporter

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Webinar | Indigenous Peoples forests governance: a fundamental strategy in preserving forests and reducing carbon emissions

16 April 2021

April 22nd, 2021 | 8:00PM – 09:30PM (Bangkok Time)Join the Ford Foundation, the Land Portal Foundation, the Tenure Facility and the Thomson Reuters Foundation for a webinar on April 22nd, Earth Day. This webinar will provide an opportunity to review the report “Forest Governance by ...

Facebook Live | Thailand's Digital Government Development Plan

9 April 2021

The Digital Government Development Plan of Thailand is approved by the cabinet to be “driving government into digital government”.Watch LIVE, the announcement of the Digital Government Development Plan of Thailand 2020-2022. Let’s see how we can transform the current government into digital government ? and what ...

UNITE 2030’s Youth Delegate Program

6 April 2021

The Youth Delegate Program is a 3-month intensive leadership and action-oriented program that supports youth between the ages of 18 and 30 to develop the leadership skills and competencies required to solve The Global Goals by the year 2030.UNITE 2030 Youth Delegates Delegates are instrumental ...

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Open Development Thailand publishes a dashboard on “Essential Information on COVID-19 in Thailand."

16 December 2020

Open Development Thailand (ODT) recently published a dashboard on “Essential Information on COVID-19 in Thailand,” which collects useful information on the nationwide measures, capacity of health services and medical workforces, hotline contact, educational videos, and infection cases over time. Access to the page>> ...

Open Development Thailand publishes new pages on COVID-19 Impact on Thai Labor Market and its Dashboard

12 October 2020

Open Development Thailand (ODT) recently published a new topic page on “COVID-19 Impact on Thai Labour Market,” which shows that the lockdown measure and other COVID-19 measures significantly affected jobs and workers in Q2/2020. The data dashboard will provide you insights to understand vulnerable informal ...

Open Development Thailand publishes a new topic page on "COVID-19 in Thailand"

21 May 2020

Open Development Thailand (ODT) recently published a new topic page on “COVID-19 in Thailand,” which shows the impacts from and measures of the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. Like other countries, the COVID-19 has economic, social and environmental impacts. You will learn the key measures implemented ...

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