Thai Government
- Covid-19 News
Cabinet approves 9.3 billion baht for procurement of Pfizer doses
A government spokesman says funding of 9.3 billion baht has been approved for 20 million doses of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine. Anucha Burapachaisri confirmed the cabinet has approved the funds for the already signed order, while acknowledging a proposal to purchase a further 10 million Pfizer doses. According to a Bangkok Post report, Anucha says the Department of Disease Control plans…
- Covid-19 News
Developers of Thai mRNA vaccine call for government financing
The developers of Thailand’s mRNA Covid-19 vaccine say they need the government to finance the project and relax regulations that would prevent a timely rollout. According to a Bangkok Post report, Dr Kiat Ruxrungtham who heads up the team working on the vaccine, says he’d like to see the vaccine administered before Songkran 2022. The Chula-VAC001 is being developed by…
- Thailand Protest News
PM’s office to file charges against red-shirt leader over Sunday’s protest
The government is seeking to press charges against red-shirt leader Nattawut Saikuar over protests in Bangkok on Sunday. According to a Bangkok Post report, Seksakol Atthawong from the office of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, has confirmed that a complaint has been lodged with the Crime Suppression Division. Nattawut is accused of sedition and of violating the emergency decree and the disease…
- Economy News
CP boss outlines 4 ways government could speed up pandemic recovery
One of Thailand’s wealthiest businessmen has outlined 4 ways in which the government could accelerate the country’s Covid-19 recovery. The Bangkok Post reports that Dhanin Chearavanont, senior chairman of the Charoen Pokphand Group, was responding to questions from journalist Suthichai Yoon during a Facebook Live interview yesterday. According to Dhanin, the government must increase relief measures for those affected by…
- Thailand News
CCSA meets today to extend Covid measures, or ease restrictions
Today’s meeting of Thailand’s peak Covid organisations will decide the continuation, or the juggling, of restrictions as the CCSA and government departments grapple with country’s steady, but worrisome, increases in both new infections and deaths over the past month. Currently, 29 provinces are Dark Red Zones, classified as the maximum and strict controlled area designation. The CCSA will meet today…
- Thailand Protest News
Anti-government protests, clashes with police continue for second day in Bangkok
Violence has erupted on the streets of Bangkok for the second day in a row as anti-government protesters clashed with police. Thai PBS World reports that protesters hurled bricks, firecrackers, and slingshots at officers at the Victory Monument and the Din Daeng intersection. Yesterday’s rally was organised by the Talu Fah group, which is closely allied to the Ratsadon pro-democracy…
- Thailand Protest News
Anti-government protesters in violent clashes with police in Bangkok
Pro-democracy activists clashed with police in Bangkok last night in response to the authorities’ use of teargas, rubber bullets, and water cannon. Thai PBS World reports that the clashes took place at the Din Daeng intersection in the capital, following a rally organised by protest group, the United Front for Thammasat and Demonstration. It’s understood a number of activists refused…
- Covid-19 News
Thai soldier who bragged about getting Pfizer vaccine says he’s a nurse
A Thai army sergeant who announced he’d received a dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine has sparked temporary outrage on social media. Noppadon Maneechan, who is based in the north-eastern province of Loei, has had to defend his reputation and refute claims that Pfizer doses have been secretly administered to the military ahead of healthcare workers and high-risk members of…
- Thailand Protest News
Political activist “Penguin” back in prison ahead of large protest tomorrow
Pro-democracy activist Parit Chiwarak, aka “Penguin”, has been re-arrested and imprisoned ahead of an important rally tomorrow. The Bangkok Post reports that Parit was detained on his arrival at Royal Thai Police headquarters yesterday following a summons issued on August 2. Parit faces charges related to graffiti that appeared outside a police office in the central province of Pathum Thani.…
- Covid-19 News
Rollout of Pfizer doses gets underway
The first rollout of the eagerly awaited Pfizer vaccine has kicked off, with doses being distributed first to Bangkok and the surrounding provinces, followed by other high-risk provinces around the country. According to a Bangkok Post report, Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control has confirmed the doses will be given as booster shots to frontline healthcare workers who…
- Thailand Protest News
31 anti-government activists granted conditional release
The Central Criminal Court has granted 31 anti-government protesters conditional release on the basis that they are not considered flight risks. The activists include Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, aka, “Pai Dao Din”, and have been in custody since their arrest in front of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau in Bangkok on Sunday and Monday. According to a Thai PBS World report, the protesters…
- Thailand Protest News
Ban on mass gatherings published in Royal Gazette ahead of anti-government protests this weekend
A new order has been published in the Royal Gazette banning all mass gatherings, including rallies, protests, and assemblies. The order was published last night, ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations in Bangkok this weekend. The order is being implemented under the Emergency Decree, which has now been extended 13 times since its introduction in March 2020. According to a Pattaya…
- Hot News
Media outlets call on Thai government to lift restrictions on freedom of expression
Thai media organisations have issued a joint statement calling on the government to lift restrictions on freedom of expression imposed under the Emergency Decree. Thai PBS World reports that the statement was issued yesterday by the National Press Council of Thailand, the News Broadcast Council of Thailand, the Thai Journalists Association, the Online News Providers Association, the Thai Broadcast Journalists…
- Covid-19 News
Thai PM predicts current Covid crisis will be over in 2 or 3 weeks – 4 at the most
The Thai PM says the country’s worst Covid-19 outbreak since the start of the pandemic should be over in 2 or 3 weeks, maybe 4. The Bangkok Post reports that Prayut Chan-o-cha was addressing a Cabinet meeting yesterday and has instructed all relevant agencies to keep the public updated on the ongoing crisis. Thailand has continued to report new cases…
- Covid-19 News
Health Ministry says all frontline medical workers will get donated Pfizer doses
With 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine expected to arrive in Thailand tomorrow, the Public Health Ministry insists they will be given to all frontline medical workers in the country. The doses have been donated by the US government and will be offered as third, “booster” shots, according to Sura Wisedsak from the Health Ministry. “I can confirm that…
- Covid-19 News
Government under increasing pressure to share details of vaccine procurement deals
As Thailand battles its worst Covid-19 wave since the start of the pandemic, the government is coming under increasing pressure to divulge details of its vaccine procurement decisions. The Bangkok Post reports that at least 333 academics, media representatives, and individuals have signed a statement calling for full disclosure of everything related to the country’s vaccine procurement deals. The statement…
- Thailand News
Anonymous Thai artist creating works of satire from current events
An anonymous Thai artist is using the current crisis as inspiration for work that highlights what he sees as the government’s mismanagement of the pandemic. According to a Coconuts report, the artist, known only as Uninspired by Current Events, has produced images of lab rats being given random vaccines and armed police wearing panda masks and opening fire. A more…
- Covid-19 News
Samut Sakhon governor orders officials to break isolation regulations if it saves lives
As the number of Covid-19 patients at isolation centres grows, the governor of the central province of Samut Sakhon says officials can bend the rules if it saves lives. The current Public Health Ministry rules on isolating patients from their families are aimed at preventing the spread of infection, but governor Veerasak Vichitsangsri says a backlog of infected people at…
- Covid-19 News
Health Ministry asks vaccine importers to prepare procurement plans for next year
6 Covid-19 vaccine importers have been asked to prepare purchase plans for next year, which should factor in virus mutations. The Public Health Ministry made the request at a meeting with AstraZeneca Thailand, Pfizer Thailand, Zuellig Pharma, Janssen-Cilag, Biogenetech, and the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation. According to a Nation Thailand report, Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says an…
- Covid-19 News
Healthcare workers to be prioritised for Pfizer vaccine from next month
The head of the Department of Disease Control says the country’s healthcare workers will be first in line for the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine from August. Opas Karnkawinpong says a donation of 1.5 million doses from the US government is expected to arrive at the end of this month. In a separate deal, the government has signed a procurement contract to…
- Covid-19 News
Opposition MP slams government over AstraZeneca procurement failure
An MP from the opposition Pheu Thai Party has blasted the government for not disclosing the details of the AstraZeneca procurement contract. Yutthapong Charasathien is demanding that Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul remove the head of the Department of Disease Control over the failings, accusing him of mismanaging vaccine procurement and allocation. The Bangkok Post reports that during a meeting…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand in talks with manufacturers of second-generation vaccines
A spokesman for the Thai government says talks are ongoing with manufacturers of second-generation vaccines that can handle virus mutations. According to a Bangkok Post report, Anucha Burapachaisri says such vaccines are vital in order to effectively control the pandemic, as strains such as the Delta variant take over. In addition to holding talks with manufacturers of second-generation vaccines aimed…
- Thailand News
PM orders Thai Navy to postpone submarine purchases as pandemic rages
The Thai PM has instructed the Navy to postpone the planned purchase of 2 Chinese submarines, saying the funds must be diverted to fight Covid-19. The controversial 22.5 billion purchase was already postponed for a year last August. The Bangkok Post reports that Kongcheep Tantrawanich from the Defence Ministry says the PM has ordered a further postponement given the extent…
- Thailand Protest News
Tear gas, rubber bullets deployed against anti-government protesters in Bangkok
Police in Bangkok resorted to using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse anti-government protesters yesterday, after hundreds of people rallied in the capital. A report in the UK’s Guardian newspaper recounts how activists used cars and motorbikes to avoid spreading Covid-19. Yesterday’s protesters had 3 demands: the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, a reduction in the military and monarchy’s…
- Covid-19 News
Thai PM returns to Government House after third negative Covid test
The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, does not have Covid-19 and returns to work at Government House today. The PM had been self-isolating for 14 days after coming into contact with Veerasak Pisanuwong from the Surin Chamber of Commerce, while visiting Phuket for the island’s sandbox re-opening on July 1. Veerasak subsequently tested positive for the virus. The Bangkok Post reports…
- Covid-19 News
Government Pharmaceutical Organisation sues over Moderna profiteering allegations
The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation is suing the chairman of the Thonburi Healthcare Group and a mathematician, both of whom have criticised its procurement of the Moderna vaccine. The Bangkok Post reports that the GPO has filed police complaints against THG chairman Boon Vanasin and mathematician Loy Chunpongthong. Both men have alleged that the GPO profited from the purchase of Moderna…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand to purchase another 120 million vaccine doses for next year
Thailand’s National Vaccine Committee has approved the purchase of an additional 120 million vaccine doses for 2022. However, it has yet to approve a draft announcement on the export of AstraZeneca doses manufactured in Thailand, due to concerns over insufficient doses for Thai citizens. Thai PBS World reports that Nakorn Premsri from the National Vaccine Institute says the extra 120…
- Covid-19 News
1 million additional vaccine doses being purchased for Bangkok residents
The Thai government has pledged to purchase an additional 1 million Covid-19 vaccine doses for Bangkok residents in the coming 2 weeks. Apisamai Srirangson from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says the plan is to vaccinate 70% of the capital’s residents, but to date only 43.6% have been vaccinated. The Bangkok Post reports that the Disease Control Department will…
- Economy News
42-billion-baht aid package to cushion the financial impact of Covid restrictions
The government will provide a 42-billion-baht aid package for businesses and individuals affected by the latest Covid-19 restrictions in the 10 “dark red” provinces. The Bangkok Post reports that 30 billion baht of the relief package will come from the government’s loan decree, while the other 12 billion will come from the national budget. The provinces of Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom,…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Covid blame game, theatres close, Sandbox spin | July 13
The Thailand Development Research Institute has levelled the blame of the current vaccine shortage and policy shortfalls on the Thai government in a recently published report. Yesterday, cinema chain Major Cineplex announced it was closing 5 of its movie theatre locations in Bangkok. The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office Chief is putting a positive spin on the recent Covid-infected tourists…
