This online forum will focus on the shifting and moving balance between virus concerns and economic imperatives. The Thai government today has announced an extension of the emergency decree for another month until the end of May 2020. This extension is understandable due to the persistence of the deadly coronavirus and its potential new outbreaks, even if numbers of infections and fatalities appear to have stabilized. At the same time, bottom-up pressure for a partial re-opening of the Thai economy is mounting, as economic hardships have hit the people hard and fast.

Accordingly, we focus on this trade-off and moving balance in our next forum, featuring the World Health Organisation’s Thailand Representative Dr Daniel Kertesz and Thailand Development Research Institute economist Dr Kirida Bhaopichitr. Their backgrounds are attached. Both experts will bring different perspectives to the discussion in search of a balance and prioritisation for the policymaking community in Thailand.