The Department of Disease Control (DDC) has upped its order for Pfizer vaccines to 30 million doses from the 20 million initially ordered.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told the press that DDC and Pfizer-BioNTech signed a new contract on Friday.
Though the doses will arrive in the fourth quarter of this year, Anutin said it has still not been decided who will receive the shots first.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been registered with the Thai Food and Drug Administration since June 24.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said on Tuesday that it was planning to purchase another 12 million doses of Sinovac vaccines along with 10 million doses of other Covid-19 jabs.
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Thailand now ordering 30 million Pfizer shotsThailand now ordering 30 million Pfizer shots
Govt aims to attract more FDI with focus on innovations, says deputy PM
Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow on Thursday said that the government would focus on developing new innovations to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), especially in continuous, digital and low-carbon industries to boost the economy after the Covid-19 crisis passes.
He was speaking at a virtual seminar “Thailand Next: Innovation Beyond Business” organised by Nation Multimedia Group on Thursday.
“Currently Thailand has relatively low FDI at only 1-2 per cent of GDP,” he said. “We aim to increase this ratio by promoting investments in telecommunications infrastructure and other digital technologies to attract foreign investors.
“It is evident that innovation is a key to sustainable economic growth and faster recovery in time of crisis,” added Supattanapong. “This can be seen from many western countries who have accumulated medical and scientific innovation for decades, which has enabled them to develop Covid-19 vaccines within one year versus the traditional period of vaccine development at over eight years.”
Supattanapong added that the government has been preparing an innovation zone in the Eastern Economic Corridor or ‘EECi’, as well as the Digital Park Thailand in EEC areas for foreign investors after the Covid-19 situation improves.
“We believe innovations that will help boost the country’s economic recovery are low-carbon emissions technology, electric vehicle manufacturing and smart electronics,” he said.
“As for the tourism industry in the post-Covid era, Thailand will focus on quality of tourists and not on quantity,” said the deputy PM. “We will promote eco- and health-related tourism and use improved public health system to attract foreign visitors.”
Covid escapee finally found hiding in Samut Prakan
The Covid-19 patient who walked out of a hospital in Udon Thani on Wednesday was finally tracked down on Thursday.
Ratathini Hongwichitpreech apparently had a taxi drive up from Bangkok to Udon Thani to take her to Samut Prakan province.
The leader of the Samut Prakan community she lived in tracked her down on Thursday. The patient said she left the hospital because she wanted to be with her husband. Ratathini will complete her treatment at a hospital in Samut Prakan and will face legal action once she recovers.
The Kumphawapi Hospital in Udon Thani has also filed an official complaint against the patient for escaping isolation.
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Covid escapee finally found hiding in Samut PrakanCovid escapee finally found hiding in Samut PrakanCovid escapee finally found hiding in Samut Prakan
19 people get jail sentence for partying in defiance of emergency
The Bangkok North Municipal Court on Thursday sentenced 19 adult partygoers to three years imprisonment and THB15,000 fine per person for breaching the emergency-decree ban on gatherings of more than five people.
The court reduced the previous sentence of six years imprisonment and THB30,000 fine, as they had pleaded guilty.
The court also suspended the imprisonment for a year per person as the partygoers did not have a criminal record.
Police had arrested 28 people, nine of them underage, for partying at a swanky resort in Bangkok’s Din Daeng district in the early hours of Wednesday.
The nine underage suspects will be charged separately by the Central Juvenile and Family Court.
Ex-revenue officials get jail term over Bt3-bn VAT refund scam
Two former state revenue officials were given life sentences for their involvement in embezzling more than Bt3 billion from the state through fraudulent value-added-tax (VAT) refunds, and ordered to reimburse the Revenue Departnent.
The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct cases on Thursday found the former director-general of the Revenue Department, Sathit Rangkhasiri, and a former official of Bangkok Revenue Department Area 22, Siriphong Riyakantheerachote, guilty of approving VAT refunds to 25 companies in Bangkok and Samut Prakan provinces several times since 2013, despite those companies not being eligible for a refund.
The defendants then embezzled the money totalling over Bt3.09 billion with the help of two other defendants, Prasit Anyachote and Kittisak Anyachote.
The court later acquitted Kittisak and ordered the three defendants to compensate the sum of Bt3,097,016,533 to the Revenue Department. The court also ordered the confiscation of 77 kilograms of gold bars and 7,000 baht weight of gold that Sathit had purchased with the embezzled money.
Prasit was given six years and eight months’ jail time.
Family vows legal action after activist blinded in one eye by alleged police action
Pro-democracy activist Thanat Thanakitamnuay has lost vision in the right eye from alleged action by crowd control police at the anti-government rally on August 13, his family posted on Facebook on Thursday.
The family said that Thanat had participated in the rally at Victory Monument and the Din Daeng junction in Bangkok’s Ratchathewi district and was injured by a cylindrical object allegedly fired by crowd control police.
The police were pushing back the protesters as they tried to march to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s house on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road to demand his resignation.
Family vows legal action after activist blinded in one eye by alleged police action
“Thanat suffered a serious injury on his right eyebrow and eye socket, which caused a tear in his cornea and ophthalmorrhexis [rupture of the eyeball],” the family said.
“He had undergone a surgery and is now stable. The doctor said he would need further treatment for at least six months, but his right eye will no longer be usable.
Family vows legal action after activist blinded in one eye by alleged police action
“Thanat was exercising his constitutional right by participating in a peaceful protest without any weapon, while the crowd control police were violating international practices in crowd control by firing tear gas cannisters directly at the protesters instead of using parabolic trajectory,” added the family.
“We have, therefore, decided to pursue legal actions, both civil and criminal, against related people or agencies to the fullest extent of the law. The Thanakitamnuay family has no intention of using Thanat’s injury for political benefit of any people or parties in any form,” they added.
NHSO gets ready for nationwide distribution of antigen test kits
The National Health Security Office (NHSO) has partnered with the Public Health Ministry and Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) to distribute 8.5 million Covid-19 antigen test kits (ATK) to hospitals and pharmacies across Thailand.
The distribution follows the NHSO board’s August 4 decision to allow the procurement of the kits.
Dr Kornchakoch Limsommut from the Public Health Ministry’s Office of the Permanent Secretary said the ATK would be distributed nationwide within a week of arrival.
Each province should have at least 40,000 units by the end of September. Provinces with a larger population or higher prevalence of Covid-19 cases will get more units.
Of the 8.5 million kits imported, 1.5 million will be reserved for emergencies, such as the detection of new clusters that will require a quick dispatch of the kits to affected areas.
Dr Kriddhiya Sriprasert, a senior adviser at the NHSO, said the kits are being imported by the GPO, though the NHSO is funding the process.
Once the shipment arrives, GPO will send batches to provincial public health offices and Bangkok’s Health Department, which will then distribute them among local hospitals and pharmacies.
When handing test kits to users, health workers are required to verify their authentication codes and provide instructions to users. The NHSO will also pay 10 baht per test kit to offset the time health workers spend assisting users.
“If users test positive, they must go into home isolation or community isolation. However, they will be required to undergo RT-PCR tests if they want to join the community isolation scheme,” Dr Kriddhiya said.
“If their RT-PCR test results are negative, they should follow health workers’ guidance and retest under the Public Health Ministry’s guidelines.”
The NHSO will involve local pharmacies and private clinics in the ATK distribution plan, added NHSO secretary-general Dr Jadej Thammatach-aree.
The NHSO has established a strong network with pharmacies and private clinics that have participated in the organisation’s previous schemes, including medicine home delivery and home isolation programme.
“We plan to engage pharmacists at local drug stores by asking them to provide advice to people with positive results. The pharmacists can alert local hospitals or give the instruction on how the patients can isolate at home,” he said.
“The NHSO will work with the Public Health Ministry and the GPO to distribute ATK to high-risk populations. We will assess the situation at the end of September and decide if we need to purchase more kits.”
GPO representative Rungpetch Sakulbamrungsil suggested that the NHSO release a list of local pharmacies, their locations, and contacts on its website or mobile application.
This will make it easier for people to reach out to pharmacists for advice on using ATK and self-isolating at home.
Pharmacists can arrange online consultants for Covid-19 patients who may need support under home isolation.
The NHSO will also procure 27 million tablets of anti-viral Favipiravir to ensure there are no shortages.
Rains ease in upper Thailand, isolated heavy rains in lower South
The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Friday said that a weak southwest monsoon prevails across the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand. Less rain is likely across the country.
Meanwhile, the low-pressure cell covering the coast of Malaysia brings isolated heavy rains in the lower South.
The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
North: Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-26 degrees Celsius, highs of 30-36°C.
Northeast: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-26°C, highs of 34-37°C.
Central: Thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 24-27°C, highs of 35-37°C.
East: Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 25-28°C, highs of 33-36°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (east coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 24-25°C, highs of 30-35°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 21-25°C, highs of 31-33°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Thundershowers in 20 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 26-27°C, highs of 35-36°C.
Thailand recorded 19,851 Covid-19 cases and 240 deaths on Friday
Ministry of Public Health reported on Friday (August 20) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 19,851 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 325 of whom have been found in prisons.
Death toll increased by 240, while 20,478 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.
Cumulative cases in the country are at 1,009,710 with 8,826 total deaths.
Cultivation and sale of kratom will be legal from August 24 (Tuesday), government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri announced today.
The removal of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) from the narcotics list will also see 1,038 inmates released from prison and their records wiped clean of kratom-related offences, Anucha said.
The move will reduce expenses in the government sector and save the judiciary
1.69 billion baht per year, he added.
A total of 22,076 kratom-related court cases were heard in the first half of this year, each costing an average of 76,612 baht, according to the National Development Research Institute (TDRI).
From August 24, people can plant and consume kratom according to traditional ways of life as well as buy or sell kratom leaves legally. However, it will still be against the law to mix kratom with other drugs. Meanwhile, permission from the government will be required to import or export kratom.
Thailand now ordering 30 million Pfizer shots
Thailand now ordering 30 million Pfizer shots
Covid escapee finally found hiding in Samut Prakan
Covid escapee finally found hiding in Samut Prakan
Covid escapee finally found hiding in Samut Prakan
Family vows legal action after activist blinded in one eye by alleged police action
Family vows legal action after activist blinded in one eye by alleged police action
