From March last year to May this year, people purchased 18.3 million Covid-19 insurance policies worth 7.6 billion baht in premiums, according to the Thai General Insurance Association.
From January to May this year, people purchased 9 million Covid insurance policies worth 3.5 billion baht.
21 arrested for partying in ritzy Bangkok neighbourhood
Police raided a hotel in Bangkok’s upscale Watthana area on Friday and arrested almost two-dozen people found partying inside.
Police were informed at 1am that a birthday party was raging at the hotel. Gatherings of more than five people were banned last week in Bangkok as rising Covid-19 infections spurred a tightening of restrictions.
Thonglor police arrived at the hotel in the early hours of Friday to find a group of 21 people partying loudly.
The partygoers were screened for drug use by urine tests, some of which came back positive, said police. All 21 participants were charged with violating the emergency decree, with drug charges tossed in for those who tested positive.
Covid patients overflow into hospital car park as cases surge in Bangkok
Photos of Covid-19 patients lying in a hospital car park next to biohazard dumpsters underlined the critical shortage of beds in Bangkok on Friday.
The photos were posted on the Facebook page of “sleepless” celebrity medic Mor Lab Panda.
They reveal a chaotic scene as dozens of patients lie on mats or sit on plastic chairs in the car park of PMG Hospital. Some are sprawled close to orange biohazard dumpsters that are overflowing with dangerous waste. Liquid can be seen leaking from the biohazard bins.
The photos were taken by Facebook user Pawezi Naraporn.
A guard at the hospital said numerous people in the car park had been left waiting because of a shortage of ambulances.
Bangkok logged 2,195 new Covid-19 infections and 33 fatalities on Friday. Authorities in the capital have mandated home treatment for mild cases in a bid to ease the pressure on hospitals.
Thailand seeking at least 10 different vaccine brands, says Foreign Ministry
Thailand is using diplomatic channels to procure as many as 10 different Covid-19 vaccine brands from overseas, the Foreign Ministry says.
The announcement comes after AstraZeneca revealed it can deliver only around half the monthly target of 10 million locally made doses to Thailand.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Saengrat said vaccine brands sourced and to be purchased by Thailand include China’s Sinovac, Sinopharm and CanSino; US-made Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and Novavax; Russia’s Sputnik V; and Covishield and Covaxin from India.
Covishield is the name for AstraZeneca vaccine made in India.
The Foreign Ministry is currently cooperating with the US government on a large shipment of vaccine, Saengrat added. The US announced last week that it was donating 1.5 million doses of Pfizer to Thailand.
Meanwhile, the local importer has delivered shipment documents for Sputnik V to Thai government agencies including the Food and Drug Administration, Foreign Ministry and National Vaccine Institute.
Rapid test kits can be bought over the counter from today
Rapid test kits for Covid-19 should be available for sale in pharmacies from Friday, according to a Public Health Ministry announcement on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Dr Surachok Tangwiwat, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s deputy secretary-general, said the agency has given four companies the green light to sell test kits over the counter.
He said consumers must check if the test kit has a “for citizens” stamp before purchasing.
“Rapid antigen test kits will also be available at hospitals, clinics and pharmacies from Friday,” he said.
He also advised people against buying Covid-19 test kits online, saying that it is against the law to advertise these devices without permission.
“People who find test kits being advertised can call the 1556 FDA hotline,” he added.
Dr Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry, said people who are not at risk should not waste their money on these kits.
Dr Supakit Sirilak, director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences, explained that antigen tests use saliva or samples from the nose cavity, while the more accurate antibody test uses blood samples.
He also advised at-risk people who test negative to take the antigen test again three to five days later and isolate themselves.
“Those who test positive, should inform public health agencies near their home and separate themselves. They should seek medication if they have trouble breathing,” he said.
He also advised people to disinfect used test kits and put them in a bag before discarding them.
Elderly woman, 89, shown suffering at home with Covid in plea for hospital treatment
A man in Nonthaburi has posted a clip of his elderly mother-in-law severely ill at home with Covid-19, and demanded an ambulance and hospital beds for her and other infected members of his family.
Kong Petchkaew, 58, posted the video on social media on Friday. It shows his 89-year-old mother-in-law lying on her bed at home and crying out with pain.
Kong said that he was afraid that her condition would worsen if she does not get medical treatment quickly.
Bangkok and surrounding provinces like Nonthaburi are facing a severe shortage of hospital beds as Covid-19 cases surge.
Kong revealed that his wife, 64, and nephew, 18, had also contracted the virus.
He added that he cannot leave the home, as he is a high-risk person.
This is not the first time Kong’s family has made headlines.
Earlier this week, his home was sealed from outside by his neighbours over fears the family could infect others in their community.
After the story was highlighted, wooden planks hammered over the home’s door were pulled out. Kong said he has filed a police complaint over the incident.
Customer melts restaurant owner’s heart with unusual food delivery order
A restaurant owner in Suphanburi has shared heart-warming details of an unusual order he received from a customer this week.
The kind-hearted customer ordered food not for himself but for the delivery driver.
The unnamed owner of Playground restaurant in Suphanburi posted the story on his “Tun Baantormai” Facebook page.
“I got an order this afternoon and was impressed by the customer’s comment. It was: ‘rider, you do not need to deliver this food for me. Take it back home and have this good dinner with your family. This order is to help local restaurants in Suphanburi.’”
The owner said he read the message again and again, before cooking the food for the lucky rider.
People flock to Rajamangala Stadium for rapid tests
The 1,500 places for Covid-19 testing at Bangkok’s Rajamangala National Stadium were snapped on Friday.
The tests using rapid antigen test kits are being conducted by the National Health Security Office in cooperation with the Urban Institute for Disease Prevention and Control and Mahidol University’s Faculty of Medical Technology.
According to media reports, the antigen test kit is 99 per cent accurate and provides a result in 30 minutes.
An official at the testing station said the quota of 1,500 tests has been filled up for several days since testing began on Friday.
People flock to Rajamangala Stadium for rapid tests
The official advised people to arrive at the testing station before 6am, and not skip their breakfast as they may faint while waiting for queue cards.
“The Rajamangala National Stadium testing stadium only operates on weekdays,” the official said.
People flock to Rajamangala Stadium for rapid testsPeople flock to Rajamangala Stadium for rapid tests
July 16, 1891: The day rail travel was sparked in Thailand
The Embassy of Denmark on Friday marked the date when King Rama V presided over the construction of Thailand’s first railway, which was built by Danes.
The embassy’s Facebook post explained that King Chulalongkorn got the idea of building a railway in his Kingdom after travelling in trains during his visit to Europe in 1886.
The king believed that running a railway track between Bangkok and Samut Prakan would be an economic blessing and ordered the construction of Paknam Railway.
The 20-year concession for the railway was handed to Danish firm, the Paknam Railway Co Ltd, established by brothers Andreas and Louis de Richelieu and British navigator Alfred John Loftus.
Construction of the line began on July 16, 1891, and was completed in April 1893.
Photo Credit: Embassy of DenmarkPhoto Credit: Embassy of Denmark
The Paknam Railway was the only privately owned railway in Siam and quickly became a lucrative business for the Danish brothers thanks to its popularity.
However, rail travel lost its popularity with the arrival of public buses and private cars after World War II, and by the 1950s, Paknam Railway was running at a loss.
Though the railway was closed in 1959 to make way for Bangkok’s Rama IV Road, the Paknam Railway is a prime example of Thailand and Denmark’s close collaborations, especially in terms of infrastructure.
Photo Credit: Embassy of DenmarkPhoto Credit: Embassy of DenmarkPhoto Credit: Embassy of Denmark
Syn Mun Kong Insurance Plc (SMK) on Friday announced it was cancelling its previously sold “Covid 2 in 1” insurance policies, with coverage ending in 30 days.
The “Covid 2 in 1” programme is also known as “Jer Jai Job” insurance, which means it pays out immediately if the policyholder tests positive.
The company explained that the rapidly escalating Covid-19 situation in Thailand meant it was no longer able to manage the risk. Thailand logged 9,692 new infections and 67 fatalities on Friday.
Syn Mun Kong said the premium for the coverage remaining on the policy would be returned to customers within 15 days of the cancellation.
The announcement drew thousands of complaints from netizens, who accused the company of abandoning its customers in time of crisis.
The Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC) said it would meet with the company to discuss the policy cancellation.
“The office does not agree with the company’s decision as we have been instructing insurers to evaluate the outbreak situation thoroughly before accepting new customers,” said OIC secretary-general Suthipol Taweechaikarn.
“Initially, we will try to persuade the company to reverse its decision. If that fails we will consider using more intensive measures, such as ordering a change of policy conditions.”
He added that people affected by the cancellation of their insurance can file a complaint at the OIC website, http://oiceservice.oic.or.th/, or call the 1186 hotline.
Billions spent on Covid insurance
People flock to Rajamangala Stadium for rapid tests
People flock to Rajamangala Stadium for rapid tests
People flock to Rajamangala Stadium for rapid tests
Photo Credit: Embassy of Denmark
Photo Credit: Embassy of Denmark
Photo Credit: Embassy of Denmark
Photo Credit: Embassy of Denmark
Photo Credit: Embassy of Denmark
