Summary of AMCHAM Business Today Video Conference for April 24

Cabinet Resolutions

Thailand has added 5 ASEAN countries (Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar) as high risk areas for infection, according to an announcement by Ministry of Public Health yesterday.
Somehow, the sudden swell in cases in Singapore, making it the country with highest cases in SEA, escaped the minister’s attention.
Thailand is planning to ease its lockdowns in some provinces around early May, mentioning that provinces free from Covid cases for over 2 weeks would have a more likely chance.
Director General of CAAT has met with representatives of both local and international airlines to discuss the option of allowing domestic flights to start operating from May 1.
Singapore now has the highest cases of Covid-19 infections in SEA of over 10,000 infected, mainly migrant workers living in cramped dormitories.

Pivoted Services

In response to covid-19, some companies have pivoted it offerings to adapt to the change in demand in the current market such as introducing new products/services or taking on a more digital approach.
One AMCHAM member provides a personal example as their company has been spending the last few months transforming the business into a tech apparel, but the outbreak has made the transition impossible with the drop in demand and closure of stores.
Thus, they took this opportunity to utilize the team and pivot effectively into the mask manufacturing business. With previous experience in the apparel industry, they started making progress and eventually made deals with business partners in Singapore, Malaysia and the U.S.
The tip to this quick adaptation is to be decisive, take the action and commit to learning as you grow each day. It is not the time for conducting multiple consumer researches, but to do the right thing to keep the company in the right place.
Companies will face new and challenging obstacles such as logistics capacity and delivery systems, but that is what separates companies that make it from the ones that don’t.

Financial Assistance for Workers

A member stated that they are closely following up on what their employees are receiving from the government during their leave without pay.
We are all aware of the generous increase from 50% to 62% of daily wages that will be provided and the inclusion of all premises that are closed down, and not just the ones affected by government declarations.
For now, they will just have to accept that there is a great deal of technicalities attached to those packages and they plan to maintain direct contact with the Social Security Office on a daily basis.

Work Permits

For employers and employees looking for details of automatic extension of Work Permits, as any announcement or amnesty regarding the issue has not yet been found.