Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Officials say 4 Bangkok parties have led to nearly 40 Covid-19 cases

An assistant spokesperson for the government’s Covid-19 task force says 4 separate parties in Bangkok are behind nearly 40 cases of the Covid-19 virus. Apisamai Srirangsan from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says that in each case, alcohol was a prime factor in people letting their guard down.
Nation Thailand reports that after a party attended by 30 people, 9 have tested positive, while 11 are under observation in quarantine. Another 10 have tested negative as they were only at the party briefly to drop off gifts. It’s understood the 9 infected patients were all drunk, stayed at the party a long time, and shared glasses as part of a drinking game. They also used their fingers to eat food and handle ice cubes.
Party number 2 was attended by 13 people, 10 of whom have tested positive for the virus. The circumstances around transmission are similar, in that the guests were drunk, spent a long time together, shared glasses, and eat with their hands. At the third get-together, there were 7 people in attendance, all of whom have tested positive. It’s understood the venue was poorly-ventilated and guests shared glasses and danced with each other. At the fourth party, all 13 guests were infected after sharing glasses and remaining in close contact over a long period.
Apisamai said that in each case, alcohol was a key factor in the transmission of the virus, lowering inhibitions and causing people to abandon disease prevention measures. She pointed out that this is why the sale of alcohol is currently banned in Bangkok’s public spaces.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
PM to receive AstraZeneca vaccine on Sunday

The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha will receive the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine on Sunday, while Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will receive the Chinese jab. According to a Bangkok Post report, Sopon Mekthon from the sub-committee on vaccine management says both politicians will receive their vaccines at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Disease Institute. On Monday, the vaccination of priority groups in specific provinces will get underway.
Speaking about the arrival of the long-awaited vaccines yesterday, Anutin said the first batch would be distributed free of charge, with costs covered by the government.
“The vaccines are for Thais and those living in the country. Anyone who charges for the vaccine will face legal action.”
Thailand has taken delivery of 200,000 doses of the Chinese Sinovac jab and 117,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The arrival of the AstraZeneca jab took many by surprise, with no mention of its imminent arrival, unlike the PR hoopla surrounding the arrival of its Chinese counterpart. Another 800,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine are expected next month, followed by a further 1 million in April. After that, the rest of Thailand’s vaccines will be from AstraZeneca, with 26 million locally-manufactured doses expected to be available from May to June and another 35 million after that.
Nakorn Premsri from the National Vaccine Institute says the AstraZeneca vaccines arrived this week as a result of a commitment by the pharmaceutical giant to ensure equal access to Covid-19 vaccines.
“The AstraZeneca vaccines that arrived in Thailand must receive a lot release certificate from the Department of Medical Sciences before distribution to priority groups designated by the Department of Disease Control.”
Meanwhile, Thares Karasnairaviwong from the Department of Health Service Support says over 1.5 million village health volunteers are educating local residents about the importance of vaccination and establishing how many people fall into the priority groups who will be first to be inoculated.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Tourism
Day trip to Bangkok’s closest island – Koh Si Chang | VIDEO

Ko Si Chang (or Koh Sichang) is a district of Chon Buri Province, Thailand. It consists of the island of Ko Si Chang and its adjoining islands. Ko Si Chang is in the Gulf of Thailand, 12 kilometres off the shore of the Si Racha District coastline. It’s the closest island to Bangkok and a popular weekend away for Bangkokians. Pangrum takes us on a quick visit to the island with today’s latest Thaiger Vlog.
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Thailand acknowledges wildlife markets could be dangerous to humans

The Thai Ministry of Public Health is being praised after seemingly doing an about face over whether Bangkok’s Chatuchak Weekend Market could be the source of Covid‐19. After health officials denied that the World Health Organisation was investigating the market, a recent Facebook live press conference saw the Ministry acknowledging that wildlife trades may endanger public health.
The recent investigation by the WHO of Wuhan, the province in China where Covid19 is thought to have originated, has concluded that the virus most likely did not come from a laboratory, and instead, came from animals supplied by Chinese wildlife breeding farms, or from infected animals traded somewhere in Southeast Asia. As Chatuchak Market is arguably the region’s largest illegal wildlife trade market, a Danish virologist on the WHO investigation team pointed towards the Bangkok market as a potential source of the Covid19 virus.
Now, the Thai Ministry of Public Health is going to collaborate with the Ministry of Environment and its Department of National Parks to closely inspect Chatuchak market, and roll out a joint plan to increase wildlife protection and stop the wild animal trade in markets.
Southeast Asia has historically supplied most of China’s wildlife trade, which the virologist sees as worrisome. As commercially traded animals can carry pathogens that could compromise a human’s immune system. For example, in 2019, zebras that were legally imported into Thailand, carried a small fly species that jumped to local horses, causing African Horse Sickness. The mortality rate was over 90%, causing over 600 horse deaths.
Some animals are especially susceptible to viruses hosted by bats, such as the SARS virus. That virus jumped from a civet cat that was infected by a bat. Other viruses that are thought to have jumped from bats to other animals include rabies and Ebola. Minks and Pangolins have also been discovered to carry a coronavirus and are still being commercially traded in Southeast Asia today.
In a spotcheck carried out by Freeland, a global nonprofit organisation, Chatuchak Market is still selling ferrets, coati, civets, polecats, mongoose, raccoons, meerkats, scarlet macaws, capybara, african gray parrots, cougars, multiple species of turtles, snakes, rodents and lizards from Latin America, Africa and Australia.
SOURCE: Freeland
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Toby Andrews
Saturday, February 6, 2021 at 11:18 am
There will be no deaths.
People that go to parties are not old, fat, and sick, who are the persons that die of this virus.
Peter
Saturday, February 6, 2021 at 5:28 pm
The whole point and something that has been explained many times throughout the year is that ok these people will not die but maybe they pass it on to their dear old gran who might.
I can’t believe you don’t understand this point yet.
Toby Andrews
Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 4:25 pm
That is like saying I am not driving a car because I might run someone over.
Dear old gran, who is at risk if she is also fat and sick, should wear a mask and look after herself by not contacting people.
If I on crutches I am not going rock climbing, and as Duchess has pointed, these party goers are producing a hear immunity.
Once you have had covid, you are unlikely to contract it again, and consequently pass it on.
Thanks Duchess.
Peter
Monday, February 8, 2021 at 4:17 pm
I wonder if you would have this attitude if it was ebola or marburg that was running rampant?
Karena
Saturday, February 6, 2021 at 8:52 pm
There are plenty o do far young people, especially Brits, and children worldwide have died, amazed you don’t know that yet !
Baroness
Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 1:58 am
These people belong to the “Task Force” with a mission: Increase the herd immunity. Much cheaper than the vaccination process and more beneficial for the government (taxes on spirits).
Betsy Cyberpixie
Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 9:31 am
I don’t care how drunk I get, I don’t share my glass! LOL
Whocare
Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 10:24 am
And nobody ask the question: where this contaminated people (minimum one per party) come from? How they have been contaminated?
Second question you should ask to authorities: why they are testing less than in Myanmar?
Easy to say nobody is sick when nobody has access to data showing that’s true.
No death? what about the people dying from “pneumonia” in Jan-feb 2020?