MC:소고기를 먹는 인구가 상대적으로 적은 태국은 돼지고기, 닭고기 수요가 많고 가격도 저렴한 나라라고 합니다. 그런데 요즘 돼지고기 가격이 폭등해 논란이 되고 있다고 합니다.
그렇습니다. 태국은 세계에서 식량이 가장 풍부한 나라라는 말이 있을 만큼 쌀을 비롯해 닭고기 돼지고기 가격이 싸기도 하고 소비도 많지만 요즘은 그렇지 만도 않습니다. 특히 돼지고기 가격은 지난해에 비해 두배이상 뛰었고, 계속 오르는 중입니다. 그 원인을 놓고 의견이 분분합니다.
MC: 아프리카 돼지열병(ASF)이 유럽 중국 등 세계 곳곳에서 문제 인데 그 영향이 아닐까요?
당초 정부에서는 돼지 생식기 호흡기 증후군인 PRRS(Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome) 때문에 돼지 사육농가가 줄은 이유라고 했다가 업계에서 돼지열병 때문이라고 하자 조사에 나서고 책임론이 제기되는 등 혼란을 겪고 있습니다. 여기에 사료값 인상 등이 겹치면서 돼지사육 두수가 30% 이상 줄어 든 것으로 분석되자 3개월간 외국으로의 돼지고기 수출을 금지하는 긴급대책을 내놨습니다. 또 돼지고기 값이 상승하자 이번엔 수요가 몰린 닭고기와 계란값이 오르는 등 파장이 이어지고 있습니다. 가뜩이나 코로나로 힘겨운데 서민생활이 더욱 어렵게 된 것이죠.
(*태국 돼지고기 값:부위마다 다르지만 현재 1kg에 8-9천원, 지난해는 4천원 수준.)
(*태국인들이 소고기를 잘 안먹는 이유: 1)힌두교의 영향을 받은 종교적인 영향 2)맛이 없어서?)
<By Harry>
The Thailand episode of the worldwide.
Broadcast item: Lee You hyeon, CEO of KTCC.
1. Due to the spread of Omiron in Thailand, the indefinite postponement of foreign tourists entering the country without isolation.
2. Review of bad reviews, defamation vs. consumer rights? Legal battle.
3. Thai pork price, endless surge.
MC: In Thailand, the ban on quarantine-free entry, which was allowed to foreigners due to the spread of Omikron, is being extended indefinitely. Please tell us the news.
Yeh Thailand has suspended quarantine-free entry to foreigners since December 22nd. In the new year, decided to re-evaluate the situation after January 4th and re-establish the entry policy. Eventually, it was postponed indefinitely. In order to enter Thailand, you have to quarantine for 7 to 10 days without exception.
MC: How about COVID-19 Situation?
Until the beginning of the year, the number of daily confirmed cases in Thailand had been on a sharp decline, falling to 2-3,000, but has been rising sharply since the end of the New Year holiday. Currently, it is around 7,000 to 8,000 people a day. There are over 8,000 people today. This is also due to the explosive increase in Omicron mutations. Thai health authorities also announced from the 2nd to the 8th that more than 70% of the confirmed cases were caused by Omikron mutations. Thailand's COVID-19 confirmed patients are expected to reach 10,000 at the end of January and 30,000 at the worst. It will not be easy for foreigners, including Koreans who travel to Thailand, to enter Thailand without quarantine until February.
MC: So the travel to Thailand is very blocked?
Phuket, a tourist destination, still has a sandbox program. Other parts of Thailand have to be quarantined only in hotel rooms, but if you enter Phuket after vaccination, you can travel freely to Phuket after completing PCR tests after arrival. Also, after a week, you can move to another area. Thailand has been operating three southern regions, Surattani, Krabi, and Pangan, with Phuket-like sandbox programs since January 11, allowing visitors to travel to Thailand.
MC: When I travel, I often leave travel photos and experiences as a review at least once. I think you should be careful when you come back from Thailand. It is said that travelers who wrote travel reviews will have legal battles. What happened?
Yes, a woman left a "bitter sound" review on the reservation platform, saying she didn't like her accommodation after a two-hour trip to Kao Yai, the capital of Thailand, Bangkok. The resort claimed to have been defamed and demanded compensation of as much as 100 million won. In addition, they are also requesting to post apologies in five newspapers within a week, so they are appointing lawyers to announce a legal battle.
MC: Isn't writing reviews after travel one of the consumer rights?
Many netizens also say that resorts are overreacting to the exercise of consumer rights. There is also a voice that the travel platform should protect traveler's personal information well. After staying at the resort, the woman gave six out of 10 stars and criticized the facilities and services. However, she claim that she was simple tourist and wanted improvement through reviews, but there was no hidden intention. However, the hotel believes it is intentional.
This is not the only time a legal dispute has been raised in Thailand for travel reviews. Last year, an American who stayed in a popular place called Kochang in eastern Thailand was sued for defamation for writing malicious comments about the resort, causing great controversy.
MC: What was the conclusion?
The American accused by the resort was summoned to the police station at the destination, detained for two days, and tied up with an apology to the media.
In this case, it seems a little different from the case mentioned earlier, but after staying at the resort and arguing over the cost of the alcohol he brought in, he left malicious comments on various travel sites for "extension." Thailand has heavy penalties for defamation.
The "abuse of power" of unilateral demands under the name of consumers is also a problem, but the company also needs to make efforts to use sound criticism as an opportunity for improvement.
MC: Thailand, which has a relatively small population of beef, is said to be a country with high demand for pork and chicken and low prices. However, it is said that pork prices have soared these days, causing controversy.
That's right. Thailand is said to be the world's richest country in food, so the price of chicken and pork, including rice, is cheap and consumes a lot, but not these days. In particular, pork prices have more than doubled compared to last year, and they continue to rise. Opinions are divided over the cause.
MC: African swine fever (ASF) is a problem in Europe, China, and other parts of the world, so isn't it due to that?
Initially, the government said that the reason for the decrease in pig breeding farms due to PRRS (Porcelain Reproduction and Respiratory Syndrome), a swine genital respiratory syndrome, but is confused, as the industry investigates and raises responsibility. On top of that, it was analyzed that the number of pigs raised decreased by more than 30% due to the overlapping increase in feed prices, and came up with emergency measures to ban the export of pork to foreign countries for three months. In addition, as pork prices have risen, prices of chicken and eggs, which have been in high demand this time, are continuing to rise. COVID-19 has already made life more difficult for ordinary people.
(*Thai pork price: It varies from part to part, but it is currently 8,000 won per 1kg, and 4,000 won last year.)
<By Harry>
