Thai Government
- Covid-19 News
Thai government accused of mismanagement during the pandemic
The Thai government is being accused of mismanagement related to the Covid-19 pandemic and procurement of vaccines. The Thailand Development Research Institute released a report outlining the government’s role in combating the spread of the virus, saying there were poor preparations leading up to the recent and most severe wave. The institute is now calling for an independent committee to…
- Covid-19 News
Private hospitals call on government to cover costs of caring for Covid patients
Thailand’s private hospitals say that if the government would help cover the medical costs of Covid-19 patients, private facilities could help ease the burden on the public health system. The Bangkok Post reports that Pongpat Patanavanich from TPP Healthcare International, which owns MedPark Hospital, says medical costs at private hospitals are too high for those with limited budgets. According to…
- Thailand Protest News
Supreme Court rules against former red-shirt leader
Former red-shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan has been ordered to serve back-to-back sentences in 2 defamation cases, according to a Supreme Court ruling. The Bangkok Post reports that Jatuporn will now spend another 11 months and 16 days in prison after a 2009 defamation case brought against him by former PM, Abhisit Vejjajiva. The activist was found guilty of defamation in…
- Covid-19 News
Stricter Covid restrictions likely for Bangkok, other “at-risk” provinces
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meets today to consider a number of tougher restrictions aimed at flattening the curve of new infections in Bangkok and a number of other provinces. Yesterday, cases reached a record high of 7,058, with 75 Covid-related deaths. According to a Bangkok Post report, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says the government, which is still resisting the…
- Covid-19 News
Growing calls for healthcare workers to get Pfizer booster
A leaked document, which details the minutes of a meeting in which officials discussed how they would allocate the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, has caused uproar and led to calls for healthcare workers to be prioritised. The Bangkok Post reports that the meeting took place on June 30 and discussed the administration of 2 batches of the Pfizer vaccine. The first…
- Thailand Protest News
5 protest leaders to have bail revoked following weekend rallies in Bangkok
The Metropolitan Police Bureau has confirmed it is filing to have bail revoked for 5 pro-democracy leaders accused of breaking their bail conditions. The move comes after a number of political rallies in Bangkok last weekend. The Pattaya News reports that Sukhun Prommayon from the MPB says that an investigation into the behaviour of protest leaders attending the rallies shows…
- Covid-19 News
Thai government slammed for delays in vaccine procurement
The Thai government has been blasted for the slow rollout of AstraZeneca vaccines, following the news that the monthly delivery would be cut from 10 million to 5 million. Opposition MP Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn from the Move Forward Party says Thailand is also obliged to send batches of the AstraZeneca vaccine overseas as other countries have already placed orders for them.…
- Thailand Protest News
Pro-democracy activists to march in support of restaurant operators
The pro-democracy Ratsadon group is planning another march today, calling once again for the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. Activists are also organising a flea market to shows its opposition to the current ban on dining-in at restaurants in Bangkok and a number of other provinces. The controversial restrictions were introduced at short notice on Monday, taking restaurant operators by…
- Covid-19 News
Leading Thai doctor calls on government to accelerate vaccine rollout
A prominent Thai doctor has called on the government to ramp up the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines, amid concerns at the low number of doses administered to date. The Bangkok Post quotes Dr Prasit Watanapa from Siriraj Hospital, who used a Facebook Live broadcast to urge officials to do more. He says Thailand must accelerate efforts to achieve herd immunity…
- Politics News
Thai PM ignores demands to step down, insists he’s going nowhere
The Thai PM is fending off near-daily calls for his resignation, insisting he’s going nowhere before the end of his term in office. Prayut Chan-o-cha was speaking during a parliamentary session yesterday, when he declared his intention to see out his 4-year term. Thai PBS World reports that the speech was part of an address to senators, to justify an…
- Covid-19 News
Confusion, delayed appointments, and finger pointing: Thailand’s vaccine rollout in disarray
It seems it’s all turned into a bit of a shambles. Only a week after the government’s national vaccine rollout kicked off to great pomp and ceremony at Bangkok’s Bang Sue Grand Station, it has already run into problems. The Bangkok Post reports that both public and private hospitals are postponing appointments, saying they haven’t been given enough vaccines. The…
- Covid-19 News
Thai government signs contract for 20 million Pfizer doses
The government has approved the order of 20 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine from US manufacturer, Pfizer. The Bangkok Post reports that the head of the Department of Disease Control signed the contract yesterday. Delivery will be some time this year, but when exactly is unclear, as the vaccine has yet to be approved by Thailand’s Food and Drug…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand to get 20 million doses of Pfizer vaccine, 5 million Johnson & Johnson doses
The Thai government is ordering 20 million doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, along with 5 million of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. Thai PBS World reports that deliveries are expected in the second half of the year. The Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, and Nattaphon Narkpanich, chair of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, says the Pfizer and…
- Covid-19 News
Thai PM apologises for delays in vaccination rollout
Sorry seems to be the hardest word… Or so the song goes. But the Thai PM has managed it (admittedly some would say it took a while). Prayut Chan-o-cha has apologised for the hiccups with the national vaccine rollout, admitting yesterday that there had been delays. The Bangkok Post reports that the PM insists the situation will improve with the…
- Tourism News
Tourism operators pinning hopes on vaccine rollout
Thailand’s tourism operators are pinning all their hopes on the national vaccine rollout, which kicks off today. However, the government’s reputation for vaccine procurement and management has come in for sharp criticism and confidence is not high. Already, a number of provinces have had to postpone their vaccine rollouts after receiving an insufficient number of doses from the Public Health…
- Politics News
PM moved vaccine funds from Health Ministry to Central Fund in case of “urgent need”
The PM has been re-jigging the government coffers, saying he transferred funding for Covid-19 vaccines from the Health Ministry to the Central Fund – in case of urgent need. Prayut Chan-o-cha was addressing MPs yesterday, the last day of a 3-day debate on the 3.1-trillion-baht national budget for 2022. In particular, the PM was responding to criticism from the coalition’s…
- Covid-19 News
Health Minister confident AstraZeneca doses will arrive on time
Thailand’s Public Health Minister says the delivery of 6 million doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is on schedule. Anutin Charnvirakul says the doses are expected to arrive in batches, throughout the month of June, and he’s confident the first lot will be here by June 7, when the national rollout begins. “I’m confident the first lot will be put…
- Thailand News
Thai Navy stands by decision to purchase 3 Chinese tanks
A spokesman yesterday defended the Royal Thai Navy’s decision to buy 3 Chinese tanks, while the country struggles to purchase an adequate supply of Covid-19 vaccines. According to a Bangkok Post report, Navy spokesman Chettha Chaipiam says the purchase was agreed prior to the arrival of the pandemic. He points out that, the 398-million-baht agreement was signed during the 2020…
- Bangkok News
Thai government allegedly ticked-off with Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
The government is becoming increasingly irritated by the Bangkok Governor and his administration, according to a Thai Enquirer report. The media outlet says senior officials at the Public Health Ministry and at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration are critical of the governor’s random handling of the pandemic and its associated restrictions. The report is based on feedback from an…
- Covid-19 News
Government unsure if local administration budgets can be used to buy vaccines
In what could put yet another spanner in the works, the Thai government is questioning if local authorities can purchase vaccines and whether state-allocated budgets can be used for this purpose. The Bangkok Post reports that officials at the Interior Ministry fear a chaotic rollout, with several local administrative organisations racing to order supplies of Sinopharm, the latest vaccine to…
- Covid-19 News
Thai government accused of concealing AstraZeneca supply issues
Medics are accusing the Thai government of a lack of transparency over supply issues associated with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. The Rural Doctors Society says the administration is keeping quiet about the real situation and the supply challenges it faces. The government has consistently said that the first batch of locally-produced doses would be delivered this week. The Foreign Ministry…
- Technology News
Government considering linking ID details to social media profiles
In what it says is an attempt to address fake news, fraud, and unlawful content, the government is considering linking people’s ID cards to their social media profiles. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Digital Economy and Society Ministry claims doing this would also boost e-commerce on social media. Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn says a draft regulation on the subject…
- Covid-19 News
Government “revamps” vaccination registration after scrapping Mor Prom
After scrapping its Mor Prom app, the government is now rejigging Covid-19 vaccine allocation, amid registration issues and new infection clusters. The much-lauded (by the government) technology was launched on May 1, initially so the elderly and those with 7 underlying conditions could register. However, the system quickly became overwhelmed with the numbers trying to register, which caused it to…
- Politics News
Opposition vows to oppose budget, calls on coalition members to do likewise
Thailand’s main opposition party says it will oppose the national budget when it enters parliament on May 31. The Pheu Thai party is also calling on members of the ruling coalition to do the same. Deputy party leader Yutthapong Charassathien says his party will vote against the budget to prevent the bill from passing. According to a Bangkok Post report,…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand’s national vaccine rollout may begin next week
Thailand’s long-awaited national vaccine rollout could finally get underway next week, as supplies have arrived ahead of schedule. Natapanu Nopakun from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says once the doses have been distributed to walk-in vaccination centres, inoculation can begin. He points out that provinces that have already taken delivery of vaccine doses can open walk-in centres and begin vaccination…
- Business News
No government bailout for Thai Airways
A final meeting for a vote on the Thai Airways debt restructure program is set for this Wednesday after being postponed last week. Meanwhile, a source close to those managing Thai Airways’ debt rehab plan, says the state is not obliged to provide a bailout for the national carrier. The Bangkok Post reports that Chansin Treenuchagron, acting president for Thai…
- Covid-19 News
No more face masks for speakers at government meetings – PM
The PM has signed into law a waiver on the mandatory face mask rule for officials addressing Parliament. However, MPs will still be required to wear face masks, unless they are speaking. The announcement has been published on the Royal Gazette website, making it official. According to a Bangkok Post report, the new waiver also applies to local administration meetings.…
- Politics News
PM representatives file police complaint against Thai singer and government critic
Representatives of Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, have filed a police complaint against the Thai singer Suthipong Tadpitakkul, aka, “Heart”. Suthipong has criticised the government’s vaccine procurement plan, a move that has led to accusations of violating the Computer Crime Act and Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law. The PM’s lawyer, Apiwat Kanthong, and his assistant minister, Seksakon Atthawong (aka “Rambo Isan”)…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand’s global reputation for pandemic management goes down the pan
Oh, how the tables have turned… This time last year, Thailand was in strict lockdown to combat a pandemic that was starting its march around the globe, while countries such as the US and UK dithered over how to handle the crisis. The upshot was both western countries ended up with 2 of the world’s highest infection rates and preventable…
- Bangkok News
Renowned Thai monk investigated for criticising government’s handling of pandemic
One of Thailand’s most prominent Buddhist monks has been accused of meddling in politics after he criticised the government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis. Thai PBS World reports that the Sangha Supreme Council has found Phra Maha Sompong Talaputto guilty of expressing political views, which is considered inappropriate. The monk and popular preacher from Bangkok’s Soi Thong Temple is renowned…
