Hot Off The Press

These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.

Get up to speed with what’s happening in the fastest growing region in the world. 

Stay informed with The ASEAN Post. 

No quarantine upon arrival for fully vaccinated Covid-19 survivors

Travellers who had been infected with Covid-19 and have completed their vaccination do not need to undergo quarantine upon arrival in Malaysia but they are still required to take the RTK Antigen (Ag) test at the international checkpoint.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, however, said travellers who have not completed their vaccination or have not been vaccinated, need to undergo seven-day compulsory quarantine upon arrival in the country as well as taking Covid-19 detection test.

"Based on scientific data and evidence as well as the experience of other countries on managing the entry of travellers who had been infected with Covid-19 before, the government takes the approach that travellers with a history of infection should be fully vaccinated and show proof of vaccination. - New Straits Times

Call for delay of new tourist entry fee

The new 300-baht tourism fee due to take effect in April is drawing mixed reactions from tourism operators as the recovery remains tepid and fragile.

"If the country wants to welcome back tourists, the tourism fee has to be put off until at least 2023 as the sector has to be rebuilt from the ground up because of the Omicron variant," said Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association.

She said even though the amount of the fee is small, it would have a psychological impact on tourists, particularly those who travel as a group as well as cross-border travellers who frequently visit the country. - Bangkok Post

PNP active Covid-19 infections reach 3.2K

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday said active cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) have exceeded 3,000.

This, after 450 new cases raised the total active case tally to 3,262 out of a total of 44,635 confirmed infections since the start of the pandemic.

A total of 31 new recoveries, meanwhile, brought the recovered cases to 41,248 while the death toll remains at 125. - Philippine News Agency

Mekong Delta flower farmers worry about Tet sales as traders keep away

With only a few weeks left for the peak flower shopping season during Tet (Lunar New Year), many farmers in Dong Thap, Ben Tre and Tien Giang provinces and HCM City are worried because few traders are coming to buy.

Without much demand, they do not dare increase prices though prices of inputs had almost doubled from last year.

However, supply is not high either with farmers in the delta cutting output by half, even 70 per cent in some areas, including in major flower growing areas such as Sa Dec Village in Dong Thap Province and Ba Bo Village in Can Tho City. - Vietnam News

NO BOOSTER, NO ENTRY: Those with second jab validation crossing six months considered Omicron risks

In an effort to contain the Omicron strain of Covid-19, the Health Ministry is looking into the possibility of requiring proof of booster shots status before allowing quarantine-free entry into Cambodia.

This is to ensure the success of the Kingdom’s efforts to achieve herd immunity through more aggressive vaccination campaigns, including booster shots.

Health Ministry spokesman Hok Kimcheng said yesterday that the ministry is considering to implement an additional quarantine-free entry requirement that all arrivals from other countries must have had booster shots after a maximum of six months from the time they were vaccinated with the second dose. - Khmer Times

Tax revenue falls by more than a third under coup regime

Myanmar’s military junta has collected significantly less in taxes than its ousted civilian predecessor, the latest annual report by the country’s Internal Revenue Department (IRD) has shown.

The report for the fiscal year ending on September 30, which includes the first eight months of the coup regime’s rule, indicates that total tax earnings dropped by 35% last year compared with the year before. 

In fiscal year 2020-21, the IRD was able to collect 4.745 trillion kyat ($2.657 billion) in revenue, the report shows—down from 7.296 trillion kyat ($4.086 billion) reported in fiscal 2019-20. - Myanmar NOW

MSMEs in Indonesia have started to recover from crisis: minister

Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have begun to recover from the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a minister said.

Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, Teten Masduki, posted the statement on the @Antaranews Instagram account here on Wednesday.

"I think what drives the national economy now is the  MSMEs. The indicator is bank loans have progressed in MSMEs. This is an indication that MSMEs have started to be reborn," Masduki explained. - AntaraNews.Com

Laos to Increase Production of its Molacovir Covid Pill

Managing Director of State Enterprise Pharmaceutical Factory No. 3, Dr. Lahounh Chanthabout, says demand for the medication is to triple this year, Vientiane Times reports.

Molacovir, produced by State Enterprise Pharmaceutical Factory No. 3 in Vientiane Capital, is the trade name for molnupiravir, an antiviral drug developed by scientists in the United States.

American pharmaceutical company Merck announced a licensing deal in October that would allow developing nations to access its antiviral pill for the treatment of Covid-19. - The Laotian Times