Open Development Thailand | Sharing information about Thailand and its development with the world.

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.

Keep reading…

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/

Airports of Thailand revises passenger traffic forecasts downward through to 2024

17 February 2021

Airports of Thailand (AOT) has revised downward its passenger forecasts for its financial years through to 2024, due to the continuing impact of COVID-19 on traffic.AOT now expects to serve 31.9 million passengers in fiscal year 2021 (to 30 September), having previously projected 47.91 million. ...

'Unlimited' domestic flights brewing

17 February 2021

The government may offer a subsidy for an unlimited travel pass to people who buy domestic air tickets in advance to help struggling airlines in Thailand.Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the redemption rate on airfare for the ongoing “We travel together” ...

 Narumon Kasemsuk

Govt to dump seven out-of-date laws

16 February 2021

A Government House source said the Cabinet recently approved a draft to repeal some laws that are either not applicable any more or overlap other laws.The Council of State proposed seven laws that can be repealed, namely:1940 Royal Thai Police Regulation and Operation of Gold ...

 The Nation Reporter

Education Ministry defends decision behind the student lunch budget adjustment

16 February 2021

Parents from a school in Nakhon Si Thammarat province are satisfied with the Cabinet’s adjustment of the per-student’s lunch budget to 21 baht per person a day, while at the same time asking for a strict inspection to prevent corruption.Keep watching ...

THAI to fly first vaccine shipment to Thailand on Feb 24

16 February 2021

Thai Airways International will carry the first 200,000 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine from China to Thailand on Feb 24.THAI chairman ACM Chaiyapruk Didyasarin said on Tuesday the airline had been chosen by the Public Health Ministry to transport the vaccine, supplied by China’s Sinovac ...

 Bangkok Post Reporter

BTS fares remain unchanged

16 February 2021

Passengers are not being charged fares for some 26 BTS stations, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said on Tuesday. The free stations are on the BTS Green Line, from Bearing to Kheha and from Mo Chit to Khu Khot. Bangkok’s Skytrain system covers 61 stations ...

 The Nation Reporter

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Online Seminar | Prepare and count down for PDPA

19 February 2021

The online seminar on “Prepare and count down for PDPA” that are various topics as follows:The Essential Keys of PDPA in ThailandIntroduction to Legal TechThe Journey of PDPA compliance with Expert SharingIntroduction to GECThailand Personal Data Protection Act ToolRegister to attend the seminar via Zoom ...

Waste Management competition | Envi Mission Year 2

14 January 2021

The Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, and CU Radio invite students with environmentally-conscious minds to enter the “Envi Mission Year 2” and compete for cash prizes worth 70,000 baht in total.Held under the “Waste A Moment” concept, this is the second edition of the environment ...

Digital Thinkers Forum#13 Mind the gap between digital natives and digital immigrants:How should we communicate truthfully & cordially?

21 October 2020

Digital Thinkers Forum is a Think Tank platform for Public Policy on Digital transformation, citizenship and governance towards civic empowerment.Digital Thinkers Forum#13 Mind the gap between digital natives and digital immigrants:How should we communicate truthfully & cordially? On Thursday October 29, 2020 from 1:00 PM – ...

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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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