No Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine has been imported by Thailand, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Wednesday in response to comments made by former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.
In comments via the Clubhouse application, Thaksin said Thailand was one of the countries that had approved the Pfizer vaccine according to the Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker website.
Thaksin’s comment had netizens asking whether the vaccine had been secretly approved and imported.
However, FDA secretary-general Dr Paisan Dankum said the vaccine has not been brought into Thailand or even approved, despite what the website shows.
Bangkok cabbie finds perfect way of protecting himself
A cabbie from the Trumq Taxi company in Bangkok has found a new way of protecting himself – partitioning off the driver’s area with clear plastic.
Passengers have the option of dropping their fare in a bag on the front passenger’s seat or paying online by scanning the provided QR code.
The driver has also provided hand-sanitising gel and drinking water for passengers.
Bangkok cabbie finds perfect way of protecting himself
Cabbie Nakarin Changsongsin, 54, said he got this idea from the negative/positive pressure rooms in hospitals, adding that he had installed the partition when Covid-19 arrived in Thailand last year.
Bangkok cabbie finds perfect way of protecting himself
“The taxi service is also offering discounts to passengers,” he added.
Tracking Covid-19 vaccines and approvals worldwide
Most governments are paying close attention to the development and production of Covid-19 vaccines, but it is not an easy task because time and money is needed to conduct clinical tries.
The Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker website provides clear, comprehensive updates about the development of vaccines and approvals worldwide.
The website was developed by professors from the McGill University’s School of Population and Global Health, as well as a team of experts in epidemiology, vaccinology, public health, infectious diseases, biostatistics and related fields.
“We developed the Covid-19 vaccine trials and approvals database for this site from publicly available data sources,” the group said.
According to the website on Wednesday, 326 Covid-19 vaccines were under clinical trials, 14 vaccines had been approved and five vaccines were no longer progressing.
Here are the 14 vaccines approved by at least one country:
1. Anhui Zhifei Longcom: RBD-Dimer
2. Bharat Biotech: Covaxin
3. CanSino: Ad5-nCoV
4. Chumakov Center: KoviVac
5. FBRI: EpiVacCorona
6. Gamaleya: Sputnik V
7. Pfizer/BioNTech: BNT162b2
8. Serum Institute of India: Covishield
9. Sinopharm (Wuhan): Inactivated (Vero Cells)
10. Sinovac: CoronaVac
11. Oxford/AstraZeneca: AZD1222
12. Moderna: mRNA-1273
13. Janssen (Johnson & Johnson): Ad26.COV2.S
14. Sinopharm (Beijing): BBIBP-CorV
Five of these vaccines have been approved by Thailand:
• Sinovac: CoronaVac
Approved in 24 countries
• Oxford/AstraZeneca: AZD1222
Approved in 93 countries
• Pfizer/BioNTech: BNT162b2
Approved in 85 countries
• Moderna: mRNA-1273
Approved in 46 countries
• Janssen (Johnson & Johnson): Ad26.COV2.S
Approved in 41 countries
However, Thailand currently only has supplies of Sinovac and AstraZeneca.
Thailand is also conducting clinical trials on two vaccines:
NHSO caps compensation for vaccine death, injury at THB400,000
The National Health Security Office (NHSO) has decided to provide up to THB400,000 in compensation to those who have been permanently disabled or for deaths caused by Covid-19 vaccines. The amount was set by the NHSO committee on Monday.
Dr Jadej Thammathat-Aree, NHSO secretary-general, said compensation of no more than THB240,000 will be provided for the loss of organs and no more than THB100,000 for those who developed chronic conditions or injuries from the vaccine.
A system will be set up to organise the payments within five days, he added.
Improve Thailand’s economy to prevent ‘brain drain’, warns Thaksin
Young people can only be stopped from shifting overseas if the economy in their country is strong, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra said in a Clubhouse comment on Tuesday.
Agroup last week set up the “Yai Pratet Kan Ter” (Let’s Leave the Country) Facebook page to protest against the political and economic situation in Thailand. It almost immediately won over half a million followers, with many sharing their experience in living overseas and providing advice on leaving Thailand.
In his comments on Clubhouse, Thaksin said most of the over 700,000 followers are aged between 25 and 35, pointing out that many Thais are living illegally overseas to escape the situation at home.
“Everyone is struggling for a better future. Information is easier to find now, and it is clearer to see that Thailand does not offer them a bright future,” he said.
Thaksin also said there are better opportunities overseas as many countries require young people because their population is ageing. Hence, he said, nobody should be blamed for kicking off the “Yai Pratet Kan Ter” trend. Instead, the economy should be improved for the future of the younger generation.
“Thailand’s GDP is low and new graduates are jobless. The GDP should grow at least 4.5 to 5 per cent to create jobs,” he said.
When asked what should be done in response to the “leave the country” call, Thaksin said this would not have happened if he were prime minister.
Over 2,000 cases, another 15 deaths as third-wave rages on
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Wednesday reported 2,112 new cases and 15 deaths.
Of the deaths, four were in Bangkok, two each in Nonthaburi and Sukhothai, and one each in Pathum Thani, Rayong, Yala, Ayutthaya, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom and Prachuap Khiri Khan.
The ages of those who succumbed to the virus ranged between 50 and 86, and most reportedly suffered from chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and other complications.
Bangkok is again leading the list with 789 confirmed cases, followed by 249 in Nonthaburi, 226 in Samut Prakan and 110 in Chonburi.
Also included in the list of confirmed cases were five returnees, but the CCSA did not provide details on where they came from.
Separately, 1,886 patients have recovered and been discharged in the last 24 hours.
As of Wednesday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 74,900. Of these, 71,556 had been contracted locally, including 22,794 who were found via proactive testing, while 3,344 were returnees.
So far, 44,360 have recovered and been discharged, 30,222 patients are still in hospitals, and 318 have died.
According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Wednesday, the number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 154.94 million (up by 775,819), 132.42 million of whom have recovered, 19.28 million are active cases (111,075 in severe condition) and 3.24 million have died (up by 13,648).
Thailand ranks 99th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 33.27 million, followed by India 20.65 million, Brazil 14.86 million, France 5.68 million, and Turkey 4.92 million.
Meanwhile, another 44,493 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, while 29,965 people were given their second shot, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in Thailand to 1,573,075.
Thais saw 76% cut in working time in 2nd half of 2020: Gallup report
Employers in Thailand cut around 76 per cent of their employees’ working time during the second half of 2020 in order to save costs, a report by American analytics and advisory company Gallup said.
The report, published on Monday, collected data from 117 countries.
It pointed out that the 76 per cent decrease in working time in Thailand was equal to Bolivia.
Meanwhile, Swedish employers went in for the least working hour cuts, at 17 per cent.
The report also mentioned that income by Thai labourers dropped by 76 per cent, the highest in the world. The lowest drop in income was of those working in Switzerland, at 10 per cent.
Gallop said that 53 per cent of people around the world were suspended from their jobs because of the Covid-19 crisis in the second half of last year. Some 32 per cent lost their businesses, 49 per cent of firms shortened working hours and 51 per cent saw reduced incomes.
Foreign Ministry cautions Thais over ‘vaccination tours’ to US
The Foreign Ministry is cautioning Thais about availing of tours to the United States for the sole purpose of receiving Covid-19 vaccinations. Some tourism agencies have announced US tour packages for those who want to be inoculated in that country.
The packages were in response to a US regulation that allows people on arrival aged 16 or over to be vaccinated.
However, the ministry explained that the regulation can differ from state to state and said that some states will vaccinate only US citizens.
The ministry urged Thais to first contact it via telephone 02-572-8442 or the Thai Consular application before buying any of these tour packages.
Hot day across Thailand, thundershowers forecast for upper region
The Meteorological Department on Wednesday forecast hot weather with thundershowers, gusty winds, hail and isolated heavy rain in some areas of upper Thailand, advising people to avoid the outdoors, big trees, unsecured buildings and billboards while farmers should prepare for crop damage.
It also noted that a high-pressure system from China is expected to cover the upper Northeast while southerly and the southeasterly winds will bring moisture from the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand to the Northeast, the Central region, including Bangkok and its vicinity, and the East. These areas, too, are expected to see hot weather and isolated thundershowers.
Meanwhile, the department said, an easterly wind prevails across the Gulf of Thailand, the South and the Andaman Sea, and will bring scattered thundershowers to some areas, while isolated heavy rain is expected in the lower part of the South’s east coast.
Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Hot day with thundershowers in 20 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 24-26 degrees, highs of 33-37 degrees Celsius.
North: Hot day with thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area; heavy rains, gusty winds and hail are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 19-25 degrees and highs of 36-39 degrees Celsius.
Northeast: Hot day with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the area; heavy rains, gusty winds and hail are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees and highs of 33-37 degrees Celsius.
Central: Hot day with thundershowers in 30 per cent of the area; gusty winds are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees, highs of 36-37 degrees Celsius.
East: Hot day with thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area; gusty winds are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 22-26 degrees, highs of 32-36 degrees Celsius; waves less than a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (east coast): Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 24-25 degrees, highs of 32-36 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 24-26 degrees, highs of 32-34 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
Sweden, UK, Aussie embassies join the trend sparked by group urging people to leave Thailand
Three embassies have joined the new social-media trend started by the “Yai Pratet Kan Ter” (Let’s move out of this country) group by providing advice on their Facebook pages.
The “Yai Pratet Kan Ter” Facebook page was launched on Friday and quickly became popular, gathering as many as 650,000 followers as of Tuesday morning.
Most posts on this page are from people sharing their experiences overseas as well as advice on moving from Thailand to other countries.
This group is also one of the top trending hashtags on Twitter.
Meanwhile, the Australian, Swedish and British embassies have jumped on the “moving out of Thailand” trend by posting advice for those interested in their countries.
The Swedish Embassy, for instance, points out that Sweden is known for equality, a strong welfare system that covers everybody living there and innovation.
The Australian mission posted a list of Aussie slang, their meanings and the link to a quiz to see if readers understand the words.
The UK Embassy, meanwhile, presented the “graduate route visa” for those receiving degrees in the UK. Under this programme, those who graduate from a British university can apply to work in the country.
Bangkok cabbie finds perfect way of protecting himself
Bangkok cabbie finds perfect way of protecting himself
