Thailand’s Department of Land Transport announced today (Wednesday) that all interprovincial public transport services have been suspended for the 13 provinces under maximum control and restrictions, in accordance with the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration’s (CCSA) two-week lockdown measures for the “Dark Red” zone, while all domestic flights to and from the zone have been suspended.
The zone includes Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Chon Buri, Chachoengsao, Ayutthaya, Yala, Pattani, Songkhla and Narathiwat. The travel restrictions will remain in force until August 2, but could be extended if the pandemic has not improved.
Checkpoints have been set up to screen travel in and out of the restricted zone. Interprovincial public vans suspended operations at 1pm today, while buses were almost empty. This morning, 30 public vans were in service, enabling people to travel back to their hometowns, such as Chon Buri and Rayong.
As for public buses in Bangkok, the number of passengers has reduced significantly, after the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority announced changes to the bus timetable, where busses will run from 5am-9pm at no more than 50% of their passenger capacity, to maintain social distancing.
Some passengers said that they had to wait for a long time for a bus, but they still feel safe as there are not many passengers.
Meanwhile, at Don Muang International Airport, many people booked their flights to fly back home yesterday, as it was the final day before the travel ban came into effect.
Many of them told Thai PBS they had decided to fly home due to the increasing number of infections, but that they also felt that the travel ban doesn’t help to reduce them.
Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS)
The Thai cabinet has decided to cut tuition fees at state universities by between 10% and 50% and by 5,000 baht per head for private universities to ease the financial burden on parents as the country’s COVID-19 pandemic worsens.
Reductions of tuition fees for students at state universities will be 50% for the first 50,000 baht of tuition fees, 30% of the fees from 50,001 to 100,000 baht and 10% for fees exceeding 100,001 baht.
Students studying at private universities will all receive a 5,000 baht flat rate cut, plus extension of the remaining fee payments on instalment basis. About 1.75 million students stand to benefit from the government measure.
According to Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Anek Laothammatas today (Wednesday), there are 922,794 students at state universities, including 396,858 at 38 Rajabhat universities, 133,782 students at Ratchamongkol Technology universities and 11,678 at community colleges. There are also 285,500 students at 72 private universities.
60% of the subsidies will be borne by the government and 40% by the universities, said Prof. Dr. Anek, adding that the cuts will cover students from under graduate up to doctorate level.
The move came as university students petitioned for a reduction in their fees as only online classes are being conducted at many universities.
Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS)
