Thailand junta cancels all April Fool's Eve parties unless invitees are masked and fully vaccinated
Today, all day, is April Fool's Eve, which used to be a fun celebration.
WE'RE NUMBER ONE!
First to the top
Asia became the first world region to report more than 100 million cases of Chinese Covid-19 novel virus.
The region is reporting over 1 million new Covid-19 cases about every two days, according to a Reuters analysis. With more than half of the world's population, Asia contributes 21% of all reported Covid-19 cases.
 The highly contagious but less deadly BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron has pushed the figures to greater highs in recent weeks in countries such as South Korea, China and Vietnam.
 For what it's worth... BA.2 now represents nearly 86% of all sequenced cases, according to China's World Health Organization.
PHOTO: People line up during a mass testing for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) at a makeshift nucleic acid testing site outside a shopping mall in Beijing.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/over-100-million-covid-cases-in-asia-1-million-every-48-hours-report-101648623340827.html
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2287582/
THAILAND ECONOMY TRADE
Bank of Thailand balloons inflation prediction to 4.9%
Surges in prices attributed to war
The BoT skyrocketed its inflation rate forecast for this year to 4.9% from 1.7% because of energy and food price surges attributed to supply shock from the Russia-Ukraine war.
Headline inflation is projected to be 4.9% in 2022, higher than the central bank’s inflation targeting range of 1-3%.
The bank assesses the headline inflation rate will tally 1.7% next year, a slight increase from an earlier estimate of 1.4%, said Piti Disyatat, secretary of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2287594/
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2287634/
Junta jumps in
The alleged 'minister of economy' made headlines on Wednesday with an out-of-left-field prediction that exports from Thailand will grow by 10% between now and New Year's Eve.
Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, one of the quietest junta loyalists, credited the Russia-Ukraine war with pushing up prices of Thai goods.
It won't be easy.
Chaichan Chareonsuk, president of the Thai National Shippers' Council (TNSC), said achieving export growth of 10% would be very challenging.
Food prices through the roof.
A customer examines manao (Thai limes) at a fresh market in Samut Prakan, just south of Bangkok.
Prices of limes and other food products have surged amid concerns over a sluggish economy.
'Get out, no matter what'
 Quarantine camps, family separations, and a looming lockdown are the final straw for Hong Kong’s fleeing expats
Hong Kongers swamped out Canadian Immigration in 1998 when they reckoned Xi Jinping was lying through his teeth about the city.
Well, funny thing. He was.
Hong Kong applications for migration to Canada are at the highest point in 24 years, because who are you doing to believe: Xi Jinping or your lying eyes?
https://bityl.co/BYFM
By the way
 The U.S.A. CDC and the U.S.A. FDA lied about both the number of actual cases of Chinese Covid-19 and continue to cover up the thousands of deaths and adverse reactions from a vaccine that was completely unnecessary to begin with.
Related
 Who's arguing?
Hong Kong leader Carrie "Silence of the" Lam says city's brain drain 'unarguable'
 And then she bragged:
"The most important thing is Hong Kong keeps its advantages. I believe after the pandemic, Hong Kong can have a better development."
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/hong-kong-carrie-lam-brain-drain-unarguable-covid-19-rules-2595581
Hey Mr Xi,
How's that 'zero tolerance' workin' out for ya?
 Shanghai in lockdown as officials work to test all 26 million residents.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/03/shanghai-in-lockdown-as-officials-work-to-test-all-26m-residents/
So-called 'Thai health authorities' count this as 'Covid cases falling sharply'
Junta authoritiers announced 21,678 new Covid-19 cases, almost 3,000 fewer than Monday.
 Of the new infections in the general population, 25,081 were confirmed at hospitals and 217 via mass testing.
 There is a decline in positive antigen test results. Deaths were, once again, steady at 78.
PHOTO: People queue for vaccination at the Thai-Japanese stadium in Din Daeng, Bangkok.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2286850/
THAILAND CORONAVIRUS STATISTICS
As of midnight on Wednesday, March 30
'I've done my best', says Prayut
The sad part of the story is that he's probably right. It is difficult to see how he could have done it better.
 "I cannot please everyone, but I have to act for the benefit of most people, he said.
 "If I have a chance, I will carry on. If not, I will just go back home. That's all."
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2287730/
NOTE: This is how Thailand's shots-and-mask orders are working.
Thai authorities, including their disabled medical specialists, remain unable to slow or halt the fifth major outbreak of Chinese Covid-19.
On Wednesday,
the number of new cases of Chinese Covid-19 rose yet again to 5,389.
There were 87 new deaths - of victims between seven months and 102 years.
There were 47 cases of the virus carried to Thailand from 17 foreign nations:
 10 from the United Kingdom
 six from Germany
 five each from Singapore and Australia
 three each from the United Arab Emirates and Israel.
There are people who believe this.
As they say in Liverpool, England, "Sod off Swampy!"
But the Washington Post believes, to the max:
 How About We Keep Wearing Masks on Trains and Subways Forever?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/how-about-we-keep-wearing-masks-on-trainsand-subways-forever/2022/03/30/51676a9c-b02e-11ec-9dbd-0d4609d44c1c_story.html
A more likely outcome
 Florida, 20 other states sue Biden Administration over travel mask mandate.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2022/03/29/mask-mandate-airlines-airplanes-lawsuits-Ron-DeSantis/3591648581763/
Bruce Willis announced he has aphasia and is "stepping away" from making any shitty movies this year.
Aphasia [n] a language disorder caused by brain damage that affects a person’s ability to communicate.
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/bruce-willis-retiring-acting-apashia-1235219017/
Connor McDavid.
Connor McDavid. Yeah, you know, he's not bad, eh?
Okay Groomers.
https://twitchy.com/brettt-3136/2022/03/29/i-was-just-wherever-i-could-adding-queerness-christopher-rufo-has-video-from-disneys-all-hands-meeting/
Child Grooming Corporation Disney Will No Longer Use Words "Boys" or "Girls" Within the Park, Because All Children Are Transexual Now Or Something
Or they will be, once The Mouse gets done re-orienting them.
https://www.outkick.com/disney-goes-woke-will-no-longer-say-boys-and-girls-within-park/
Heckuva movie, 98 years old.
It is a 1924 psychological thriller movie, starring the late and great Lon Chaney as 'HE', and the great Norma Shearer as the round-heeled wife who cucks him. It was the first movie produced by MGM. It features dark themes - humiliation, adultery, betrayal, exploitation, the same as Chris Rock and Will Smith.
Neither Chris Rock nor Will Smith had been born.
This is the full movie (1 hour, 12 minutes).
Speaking of movies (but updating 100 years) here is one of your main choices this week:
Emirates airline:
Russians have the same right to travel as anyone
Emirates President Tim Clark said the Russian people have every right to continue travelling regardless of sanctions on the economy, defending the Gulf carrier’s maintenance of regular services despite the invasion of Ukraine.
... Emirates' passenger loads on the flights are "fairly healthy," the executive said, including customers traveling for humanitarian reasons, staff from non-profits, diplomats and some tourists.
 Cargo space is in very high demand, he said.
 "We were facing higher oil prices prior to the conflict, and we are dealing with those," he said. "Unfortunately, that means that prices have to rise to cover the fuel-cost increases."
PHOTO: An Aeroflot Boeing 777-300ER aircraft is reflected in a puddle at Sheremetyevo International Airport outside Moscow.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2287070/
I know, right? And it rained quite heavily on Wednesday afternoon.
Will Smith Smacking Chris Rock Is Trump's Fault.
https://victorygirlsblog.com/will-smith-smacking-chris-rock-is-trumps-fault/
