EU Opens it Borders to Thailand and Other Covid-19 Safe Countries

The EU (European Union) agreed Tuesday to reopen its borders to 15 safe countries which also included Thailand that gone 36 day without a local covid-19 cases. The EU excluded the virus-stricken US, as covid-19 accelerates globally with more than 505,000 deaths worldwide.

Europe’s piecemeal reopening comes as countries struggle to revive economic activity while fending off new spikes of Covid-19. With hotspots still surging in Latin America and in the United States.

After days of negotiations, EU members finalized the list of countries whose health situation was deemed safe enough to allow residents to enter the bloc starting on July 1st. Furthermore the US was notably excluded, along with Russia and Turkey.

Those on the list are Algeria, Australia, Canada, Japan, Georgia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay.

Travellers from China, where the virus first emerged late last year, will be allowed on the condition that Beijing reciprocates and opens the door to EU residents.

The border relaxation, to be reviewed in two weeks and left to member states to implement, is a bid to help rescue the continent’s battered tourism sector, which has been choked by a ban on non-essential travel in place since mid-Mach.

But with some 10.3 million known infections worldwide, the pandemic is “not even close to being over”, the World Health Organization has warned.

“Although many countries have made some progress, globally the pandemic is actually speeding up,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday.

EU Countries try to reboot economies

Even in the EU, where Covid-19 has stabilized in many countries, the lifting of lockdown measures is still touch-and-go. Above all as governments try to reboot economies facing historic recessions.

The UK, home to The EU’s deadliest outbreak, has already seen its sharpest quarterly contraction in 40 years. With its economy shrinking 2.2% from January-March.

The worst is yet to come, with economists predicting a double-digit slump in output during the second quarter, tipping Britain into a technical recession.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed Tuesday to deliver a “infrastructure revolution.” Above all to help the country build its way out of the economic downturn.

In the meantime, his government is employing a “whack-a-mole” strategy of targeted lockdowns.

While the government plans to reopen pubs, restaurants and hairdressers on July 4th. Schools and non-essential shops in Leicester, central England, have been ordered to close. The closure comes after a localized outbreak.

Germany, which has been praised for its handling of Covid-19, also saw its North Rhine-Westphalia state extend a lockdown. On a district hit hard by an outbreak of Covid-19 slaughterhouse.

Covid-19 Continues its havoc worldwide

In Australia, a new spike in covid-19 cases was seen in parts of Melbourne. Spurring new stay-at-home measures affecting some 300,000 people.

In Brazil, which is home to the world’s second deadliest outbreak of Covid-19, was reeling from its worst week yet. It registered a record number of 259,105 cases in the seven days to Sunday.

Peru is also suffering, with more than 9,000 fatalities.

And in Iraq, overwhelmed doctors are struggling with mask shortages, unpaid salaries and dilapidated hospitals as daily infections rise. “We’re collapsing,” said Mohammed, a doctor at a Covid-19 ward in Baghdad.

Iran announced another 150 deaths Tuesday as officials said the virus was still peaking in parts of the country.

Around the world, sporting events also continued to fall off the calendar. Including the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and the remainder of this year’s World Rugby Sevens Series.

Researchers in China, meanwhile, have discovered a novel swine flu capable of triggering another pandemic.

Named G4, it is genetically descended from the H1N1 strain that caused a pandemic in 2009. According to scientists at Chinese universities and China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Source - Chiang Rai Times

EU border app for helps tourists plan in age of virus

Can I go on holiday to Spain? Will I face quarantine? Have the museums and restaurants re-opened yet?

From Monday, as European Union member states accelerate the reopening of their frontiers, tourists' questions will be answered by an official European Union website.

On "Re-open EU" or reopen.europa.eu, travelers can enter the name of the country they hope to visit and find out what the rules are in the wake of the corona-virus lockdown.

The site is available in 24 languages so far covers only the 27 European Union member states -- there is no information for Britain nor the four non-EU members of the Schengen travel zone. 

A resident of France, for example, can consult the site to find out that high speed rail links to Luxembourg are being restored progressively and are at 60 percent of normal.

If he or she wants to go to Austria a face mask is required on the train, and before flying home to France he or she will need to provide a statement of honor that they have no corona-virus symptoms.

The site and an eventual app will be updated as the situation evolves.

Most EU countries reopened their internal borders within the block on Monday, but social distancing rules vary widely across the bloc and some members continue to restrict arrivals from high-risk areas.  

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Germany to lift travel warning to most European countries from June 15

Germany will lift its blanket travel warning for European nations from June 15, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Wednesday, as the continent looks to further ease restrictions imposed to contain the corona-virus.

Germany introduced an unprecedented warning against all foreign travel in mid-March. But with new infections sharply down, the government is looking for ways to restart the economy.

“We have decided today that the travel warning for the named circle of countries will not be continued but replaced by travel advice,” Maas said, referring to EU nations, other Schengen countries and Britain.

The individual advice will be for a total of 31 nations, “provided that there are no longer any entry bans or large-scale lockdowns in the respective countries”, he said.

The advice could still include warnings against travel to certain countries, such as Norway and Spain, which still have their own entry restrictions in place.

Germany will be watching contagion data very carefully, Maas added, saying that warnings could be reintroduced if new infections were to reach 50 per 100,000 people in a week in the country concerned.

#Germany reported just 342 new cases of the corona-virus on Wednesday – down from more than 6,000 a day at the height of new infections in March.

The #Dutch government announced it will ease warnings against non-essential foreign travel from the same date.

#Belgium reopens borders to EU travelers

Belgium announced on Wednesday that it would reopen its borders to travelers from the European Union, Britain and members of Europe's passport-free travel zone on June 15.

Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes announced the measure as Belgium emerges from a three-month corona-virus lockdown, adding that bars and restaurants would reopen on June 8.

"From June 8 everything will be allowed, with exceptions," Wilmes told a news conference after a meeting of the country's national security council.

"The virus is still among us, it is still taking victims and will probably take more, and certainly if we are not vigilant," she added, saying large gatherings would remain banned until August 31. Nightclubs also cannot open before the end of August.

Wilmes said cultural activities would continue without spectators until July 1, when cinemas and other cultural spaces can open with a maximum of 200 people. Gyms can reopen from Monday, but with no access to changing rooms.

Belgium, where the European Union and NATO are headquartered, imposed its coronavirus lockdown on March 18. With 9,522 deaths from the outbreak, including in care homes, densely populated Belgium suffered one of the world's highest per capital tolls from Covid-19.

But cases have dropped off dramatically in recent days, with just 70 new confirmed  infections reported on Tuesday, down from around 700 hospitalizations a day in late March.

Phased restart

The EU set out plans in May for a phased restart of travel this summer, with border controls eventually lifted and measures to minimise the risks of infection, like wearing face masks on shared transport.

Some countries have already started reopening their borders in a bid to revive the embattled tourism industry.

Italy reopened to travelers from Europe on Wednesday, and Austria is lifting restrictions in mid-June with Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.

German tour operator TUI said Wednesday it would be resuming flights to popular holiday destinations, with the first flight scheduled for Portugal on June 17, according to news site Business Insider (BI).

“Our main destinations will be the Balearic Islands, Canaries, Greece, Portugal and Cyprus,” TUI chief executive Marek Andryszak told BI.

However, the German foreign minister, Maas, continued to urge caution.

“I know that this decision raises great hope and expectations but I want to say again: travel warnings are not travel bans, and travel advice is not an invitation to travel,” Maas said.

He also warned that Germany would not be repeating its unprecedented and costly effort to rescue stranded Germans from around the world in the first weeks of the pandemic.

In Berlin, residents were divided over whether lifting the travel warning was a good idea.

“If I fly somewhere, I will be afraid about coming back again because maybe it will get worse and they will close the borders again,” said Berlin resident Regina.

Another, Henri, was more optimistic: “There are masks, so I'm not afraid. I mean, I don't understand what this is all about anyway.”

Germany still has a travel warning in place for Turkey, Ukraine and the Western Balkans.

The government will review this after an expected European Commission decision next week on whether to extend entry restrictions for citizens of third countries, Maas said.

(France 24 with AFP and Reuters)

#Greece to restart tourism mid-June, international flights July 1

Greece will restart its tourism season on June 15 and gradually restore international flights from July 1 to boost its economy after the virus lockdown, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Wednesday.

With Greece suffering fewer than 170 COVID-19 deaths over two months into the pandemic, Mitsotakis said the country's prompt response to the virus would be a "passport of safety, credibility and health" to attract visitors.

"The tourism period begins June 15, when seasonal hotels can reopen, and direct international flights to our tourist destinations will gradually begin July 1," Mitsotakis said in a televised address.

"We will win the economy war just as we won the health battle," Mitsotakis said.

Tourism Minister Harry Theocharis said a list of nations resuming flights to Greece would be announced by the end of May, noting that Athens would focus on reviving a travel front "from the Balkans to the Baltic."

Bulgarians and northern Europeans including Germans will be among the first visitors, the minister said, in addition to Israelis and Cypriots.

Incoming travelers will not be required to undergo virus testing or quarantine, but sample tests will be carried out in tourist areas for epidemiological purposes, the minister said.

Greece so far has carried out fewer than 140,000 tests among 11 million.

Theocharis added that 600 beds would be specifically set aside for coronavirus care on Greek islands, which are traditionally among the country's top travel destinations.

The EU last week said holidaymakers could be asked to wear facemasks on planes, respect social distancing on the beach and even book slots to use hotel pools.

Restaurants to reopen Monday

The country, which is still recovering from a decade-long debt crisis, badly needs tourism income that directly and indirectly accounts for over a fifth of its economy.

Many operators have expressed skepticism about reopening owing to strict spacing rules.

Lockdown restrictions began to be lifted on May 4, reversing a wave of shutdowns which followed Greece's first recorded COVID-19 death on March 12.

Restaurants are scheduled to reopen on Monday after open-air archaeological sites were opened earlier this week and paid beaches over the weekend. Museums are to reopen on June 15.

According to Bank of Greece figures, the country in 2019 had over 34 million visitors and revenue of over 18 billion euros ($20 billion).

To increase Greece's appeal, tax on all transport will be reduced to 13 percent from the current 24 percent for the coming five months, the prime minister said.

And struggling businesses can be flexible with staff working hours to cut cost, he said.

The Greek finance ministry earlier on Wednesday noted that without support measures for businesses, the country could face an economic contraction of up to 13 percent this year.

The jobless rate is also expected to approach 20 percent this year.

The Greek government has announced a support package of around 24 billion euros, including EU funds, to help shore up the economy.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Finnair to resume long-haul flights to Asia in July

Finland's national airline will restart routes between Europe and Asia in July once countries begin to lift coronavirus restrictions on travel, the company announced on Monday.

Beijing and Shanghai will be the first long-haul destinations to reopen, alongside Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, Bangkok and three Japanese routes, Finnair said in a statement.

Flights to Delhi and New York will follow in August.

The move makes Finnair one of the first European carriers to restart intercontinental flights, after the Lufthansa Group announced on Friday it would resume 19 long-haul routes by early June.

"We expect aviation to recover gradually, starting in July," Finnair chief commercial officer Ole Orver said in a statement, adding that the company intends to bring its operations back to one-third of normal capacity.

Finnair cut 90 percent of its flights on April 1 and issued a profit warning as coronavirus restrictions brought international passenger travel almost to a standstill. 

Facemasks will be mandatory on all Finnair flights "until at least the end of August," Finnair spokeswoman Paivyt Tallqvist told AFP. 

"We have also taken a number of steps to avoid unnecessary movement on board," Tallqvist said, including having passengers disembark in smaller groups, and limiting capacity of shuttle bus transport between aircraft and the terminal to 50 percent.

Flights along the so-called "shorter northern route" between Helsinki and Asia, bypassing the Middle East, have been a key part of the Finnish carrier's growth strategy in recent years, with passenger numbers on its Asian routes doubling between 2010 and 2018.

On Monday, Finnair also announced it would restart 26 European routes in July, including to Brussels, Moscow, Prague and Paris.

Destinations including Rome, Madrid and Warsaw would be added in August, the firm said. 

Finnair said it would open further routes on a monthly basis depending on demand and how travel restrictions change over the summer.

Source - TheJakartaPost

EU looks to save summer holiday

 The EU will present recommendations on Wednesday to save the summer season in Europe’s reeling tourism sector, which has been pounded by the coronavirus crisis.

The European Commission will urge EU countries to gradually reopen shuttered internal borders and to above all treat each member state on the same criteria.

According to a draft seen by AFP, the Commission insists that reopening of everyday life after the pandemic must be done in a "concerted" and "non-discriminatory" manner and must remain "as harmonious as possible".

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The points are only recommendations on the part of the EU's executive as it is up to national governments to decide whether to lift the restrictions put in place to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

Brussels recommends that when countries are in a comparable epidemiological situation and have adopted the same precautionary measures, they should be treated in the same way.

If, for example, Austria opens its borders with Germany, it must also open its borders with the Czech Republic if that country is in a comparable situation to Germany.

Similarly, when a country opens its borders with another country, it must do so for all the residents of that country, whether or not they are nationals of that country. 

This issue of restoring freedom of movement within the passport-free Schengen area is crucial for European tourism, a sector which accounts for 10 percent of the EU's GDP and 12 percent of employment.

In some southern European countries, such as Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, this impact is even greater and if holidaymakers were to stay home, their already bad economic situation could worsen further.

In its recommendations, the commission also addresses the thorny issue of whether or not to reimburse cancelled trips and holidays.

Under EU rules, the European consumer is entitled to a cash refund, but many operators and airlines prefer to offer a credit instead.

"Carriers and tour operators should follow a common approach, offering passengers and travellers an attractive choice between a cash refund, in line with their rights under EU law, or the acceptance of a voucher," the document said.

Late last month, 12 European countries asked the European Commission to suspend the obligation for airlines to reimburse passengers whose journeys have been cancelled because of the coronavirus. 

Source - TheJakartaPost

'Europe needs a break': EU plots to restart travel and tourism despite COVID-19

EU states should guarantee vouchers for travel cancelled during the coronavirus pandemic and start lifting internal border restrictions in a bid to salvage some of the summer tourism season, the bloc's executive will say next week.

Tourism, that normally contributes almost a tenth of the European Union's economic output, is among the sectors hardest hit by the global outbreak that has grounded nearly all travel.

Germany and other member states have urged a suspension of EU rules that force cash-drained airlines and the hospitality industry to offer full refunds for cancelled flights and trips instead of vouchers for future travel.

In response, the European Commission will tell member states to guarantee vouchers to make them more attractive to customers, according to a strategy document seen by Reuters ahead of official publication due on Wednesday.

"To provide incentives for passengers and travelers to accept vouchers instead of reimbursement, vouchers should be protected against insolvency of the issuer and remain refundable by the end of their validity if not redeemed," the draft document said.

"Insolvency protection needs to be assured at the national level and secured vouchers need to be accessible to all passengers and travelers," it added.

The EU executive will also tell the bloc's 27 member countries to gradually lift internal border restrictions and restart some travel to help the ailing tourism sector.

'Grave trouble'

Tourism normally brings some 150 billion euros every season form June through August with some 360 million international arrivals, according to the Commission.

But Europe's external borders are now bound to be shut for any non-essential travel until at least mid-June, an emergency measure to limit the spread of the virus.

"Our tourism industry is in grave trouble," the Commission is due to say, warning that 6.4 million jobs could be lost in the sector that has reported falls in revenue ranging from 50 percent for hotels and restaurants to 90 percent for cruises and airlines.

The pandemic set the EU on a path towards its worst-ever economic downturn and bitterly tested unity between member states fighting over medical equipment, export bans on drugs, chaotic border curbs and money to salvage their single market.

Titled "Europe needs a break" the Commission's tourism strategy will call for targeted restrictions to replace a general ban on travel and seek a gradual lifting of internal border checks where the health situation has improved.

With Europeans most likely to stay at home or travel shorter distances this summer, peripheral EU regions and islands are likely to be shunned and will take longer to bounce back.

"Until a vaccine or treatment is available, the needs and benefits of travel and tourism needs to be weighed against the risks of again facilitating the spread of the virus... possibly leading to a reintroduction of confinement measures," the draft plan said. 

Source - TheJakartaPost

Lufthansa to resume some European services in June

German airline giant Lufthansa said Friday it will fly twice as many aircraft in June as in recent weeks and return to some European destinations, but the flight plan remains a shadow of pre-coronavirus operations.

Spots beloved of holidaymakers like Spanish island Mallorca, Crete and German North Sea retreat Sylt will return to the timetable, with 160 aircraft aloft bearing Lufthansa's crane or the logos of subsidiaries Swiss and Eurowings.
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More details of the 106 planned destinations will be published next week, Lufthansa said.

Source - TheJakartPost

#Switzerland is the safest country for travelers

Collating data on the frequency of natural disasters, the quality of healthcare systems and levels of violent crime and terrorist threat, the travel insurance comparison website Insurly has established a ranking of the safest countries for travelers.

According to the methodology developed by Insurly for its "2020 Ranking of the World's Safest Countries", Switzerland is the world's safest travel destination with an overall score of 93.4 out of 100. In particular, travelers will be reassured by the country's excellent score for transport risks (98 out of 100), one of the four criteria evaluated by the study, which takes into account the annual number of tourists killed or injured on roads as well as the prevalence of airlines on the European Commission's blacklist.

Placed second, Singapore scored 92.7 out of 100, making it the safest Asian country. The risk of natural disasters on the island city state was estimated at 93 out of 100. For this criterion, the study drew on data from the the United Nations University risk report, which also takes into account measures established to cope with such events.

Ranked third, Norway was rewarded with an overall score of 91.1 out of 100. It is worth noting that the Scandinavian country would have come first were it not for its score for risks of violence (75 out of 100, as opposed to 98 for 100 transport risks, and 95 out of 100 for health care). The violence criterion took into account figures for the number of murders relative to the size of populations, and also for the prevalence of acts of terrorism. 

For its part, France was ranked 32nd in the list of 180 destinations. The country scored well for transport risks (88 out of 100) and risks of natural disasters (89 out of 100).

Finally, the three riskiest destinations for travelers were South Sudan (14.8), the Democratic Republic of Congo (15.4) and the Central African Republic (21) 

The list of the top-10 safest countries for travelers:

1. Switzerland

2. Singapore

3. Norway

4. Luxembourg

5. Cyprus

6. Iceland

7. Denmark

8. Portugal

9. Finland

10. Japan

Ryanair Holdings said demand for air travel within Europe could receive an unlikely boost if the Chinese coronavirus epidemic persists, prompting people to holiday closer to home.

Trends from 2003, when travelers shunned Asia after the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak, suggest consumers may begin to alter their travel habits, Ryanair Chief Financial Officer Neil Sorahan said in an interview.

"People tended to stay close to home," Sorahan told Bloomberg Television on Monday. "They holidayed in Europe as opposed to heading as far afield as Asia and elsewhere."

The coronavirus that spread from Wuhan in recent weeks has killed more than 360 people and infected 17,000. Dozens of nations and airlines are restricting travel, with almost 10,000 flights canceled through Jan. 31, according to data provider Cirium, even though the World Health Organization has so far said that such limits aren't needed to control the advance.

SARS affected 26 countries, resulting in close to 800 deaths from about 8,000 cases, according to the WHO. Fitch Group said in a note that a prolonged outbreak of the coronavirus would weigh on the tourist economy in Thailand, affecting not only Chinese demand but travel from elsewhere. As of Monday the Southeast Asian country had 19 confirmed cases, Fitch said.

For Ryanair, a surge in European travel would bolster margins as it grapples with the grounding of Boeing Co.'s 737 Max jet. The discount giant reaffirmed that deliveries from a 200-strong order won't commence until September or October, so that fuel-efficiency savings won't be realized until late in the fiscal year starting in April.

Chief Executive Officer Michael O'Leary said he expects Boeing to compensate Ryanair for lost revenue from the Max both this fiscal year and next, and that the focus will be on revising the order price. The carrier has specified a high-capacity variant that will take longer to certify than the baseline model.

Ryanair has also issued proposals for the purchase of bigger Max 10 jets seating up to 230 people, O'Leary said, while adding that it may be too early for Boeing to give the matter serious consideration. He said the planemaker needs to target orders from major clients such as his own company and Southwest Airlines Co. to rein in Airbus SE's lead in the narrow-body sector.

Ryanair posted net income of 88 million euros ($98 million) for the third quarter through December from a year-ago loss, aided by last-minute sales over the Christmas holidays. Bookings are 1% up on last year, with planes 96% full, so an increase in regional travel would push up fares.

Shares of Europe's biggest low-cost carrier were trading 5.2% higher at 15.68 euros as of 1:11 p.m. in Dublin, where it is based.

Source - TheNation

Eurail adds two countries to its unlimited global train pass

For the first time in 61 years, all three of Baltic countries will be accessible for travelers to visit with a single train pass, Lonely Planet reported.

In 2020, Estonia and Latvia have been added to the list of countries non-Europeans can travel to with the Eurail Global Pass.

Now consisting of 33 countries, the list already includes destinations like Rome, Venice, Barcelona, Paris and London.

The all-in-one, unlimited train ticket allows travelers to ride all local trains, high-speed trains and night trains across Europe, run by participating operators.

Eurail Global Pass holders can now ride Latvia’s local operator, Pasažieru vilciens, from its main hub in Riga, and Estonia’s operator Elron from the capital city of Tallinn to other domestic destinations.

They will also receive an up to 50 percent discount on ferry tickets from Riga to Stockholm and Germany, and from Tallinn to Stockholm and Helsinki.

Travelers can choose between two Global Pass options: The Continuous Pass and the Flexi Pass. The former allows for unlimited travel over 15 days, while the latter allows for three, five or seven days of unlimited travel within a month.

While the Eurail Global Pass is only available to non-Europeans, European travelers can get similar benefits with the Interrail Pass.

Source - TheJakataPost

THAI resumes flights to Europe via China airspace

THAI AIRWAYS International (THAI) yesterday resumed its flights from Bangkok to Europe after cancelling some the previous day due to Pakistan’s closure of its airspace. 

The national carrier also plans to provide special flights to some select countries in Europe in order to |help passengers get to their destinations.

Around 4,000 passengers were stranded as 16 flights arriving and 20 departing from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport were cancelled after tensions with India led Pakistan to close its airspace. 

Of the cancelled flights, 21 were of THAI, to and from Europe, and six to and from Pakistan. 

THAI usually flies over Pakistan’s airspace when going to or returning from Europe, but after the closure, the carrier had asked for authorisation to fly over China’s airspace, the airline said yesterday. 

Flight Lieutenant Pratana Patanasiri, THAI’s vice president for aviation safety, security and standards, said the national carrier has received permission from authorities to fly over China. However, he said, the permission was granted on a daily basis, so the airline needs to update the situation daily.

Also, he said, flying over China actually cuts the flying time down by 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, a source from THAI said the national carrier has unofficially been given permission to provide special flights to substitute the flights to Frankfurt, London and Moscow that had been forced to return to Suvarnabhumi on Wednesday.

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 THAI is also seeking cooperation from its allied airlines to transfer passengers, and has asked for permission to arrange special flights to London, Paris and Frankfurt, from where passengers can easily head to other destinations. 

Thousands of passengers were stranded at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Wednesday night, as they had not been given advance notice of the cancellations. Some only learned their flight had been cancelled when they showed up at the check-in counter. 

Officials were worried if it could be a PR disaster for THAI with passengers complaining about the lack of communication about the situation.

It will take about three days to clear Suvarnabhumi of stranded passengers, said Thera Buasri, director of the Airport Authority of Thailand’s Ground Service Control.

As for flights to Pakistan, THAI re-routed its TG507 and TG508 flights yesterday by flying directly to and from Muscat and not stopping over in Karachi. The Bangkok-Lahore-Bangkok flights on TG345 and TG346 yesterday were also cancelled.

In a related development, Auramon Supthaweethum, director-general of the Commerce Ministry’s Department of Trade Negotiations, said talks on a Thailand-Pakistan free trade agreement (FTA) will not be affected by the India-Pakistan conflict.

The Kashmir border crisis between the two countries recently resulted in both countries claiming to have shot down each other’s jets and an Indian pilot being captured by Pakistan. India has since demanded the safe return of the pilot, AFP reported. 

Thailand has an FTA with India, and a pact with Pakistan has been in the pipeline since 2015. 

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 “Up to 99 per cent of the FTA chapters have already been negotiated, and we believe the pact will be concluded and enacted by the end of 2020,” Auramon said. 

She added that the FTA negotiations with Pakistan had been delayed due to its general elections, which took place in July. She also noted that negotiations between the two countries would resume this year as a video conference.

“The remaining issue that needs to be discussed is the level of market access in goods that both sides will offer,” she explained. 

Banjongjitt Angsusingh, director-general at the ministry’s Department of International Trade Promotion, said the impacts of the Kashmir conflict are still unclear, but if there were to be any negative impacts on Thai trade, they would only be for the short term. 

In 2018, the total value of trade between Thailand and Pakistan stood at Bt54.045 billion, growing by 2.77 per cent year on year. 

Of the total trade value, Thailand exports Bt47.411 billion and imports Bt6.634 billion worth of goods, giving the Kingdom a trade surplus of Bt40.776 billion, the Commerce Ministry said. 

Source - TheNation

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