May 5, 2021 Thai Enquirer Summary Covid-19 News Today’s official numbers are out with Total infection at 2,112 vs 1,763 seen yesterday and 2.041 on Monday. Total deaths at 15 The new death figure is nearly 50% of what was reported yesterday (27) and on Monday (31) and also on Sunday when 21 deaths were reported. The government is under pressure to set up more field hospitals as the number of cases continues to rise. The biggest cluster has been Bangkok and in Bangkok it is the ‘Klong Toei’ cluster that has now spread to the area of Wireless/Soi Polo and Bon Kai area. Bangkok Governor – Aswin Kwanmuang, came out to say that a field hospital in Thungkru district in suburban Bangkok would have 342 ICU beds Mass vaccination is ongoing in the Klong Toei cluster and calls are being made to vaccinate the entire population in the so called ‘deep red’ or ‘red’ zones which includes Bangkok, Samut Prakarn, Nonthaburi and other peripheral provinces around the capital city. The plan is to have about 60 per cent of Klong Toey residents vaccinated. This the doctors say is the way United Kingdom has gone through by vaccinating the 1st shot to lower the transmission rates and then undertaking the 2nd shot later. The headline of mainstream media says it all when it comes to the situation in Bangkok Matichon says Bangkok’s Covid in bad shape The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)’s meeting chaired by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha resolved to set up a new committee called “the Covid- 19 Direction Centre to address the Covid-19 situation in Bangkok and adjacent provinces”. The new centre is headed by Gen Prayut himself to solve the spike of Covid- 19 infections and contain the spread of the virus in 50 districts of Bangkok. Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said he had instructed the Department of Special Investigation to hunt down the source that posted news on social media that the “Indian strain” of the coronavirus has entered Thailand following reports that a Thai student who went to study in India has brought back the new variant with them. The Justice Minister dubbed the report as “fake news” that caused confusion among the public. Somsak said he had learned that the person who shared this news on social media platforms is a local politician. It seems as though that other variants have already entered Thailand. Wayo Assawarungruang, a list MP of the Kao Klai (Move Forward) Party MP and medical doctor, voiced his grave concern via a talk show program with Progressive Movement executive Pannika Wanich about the Covid-19 situation in Thailand as he claimed that the South African and Brazilian variants had entered Thailand since April, citing data from the World Health Organisation (WHO). Dr Wayo then lashed out at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) for its apparent failure to pay attention to WHO’s information despite medical report which confirmed that these 2 new variants are resistant to China’s Sinovac and Astrazeneca vaccines. He called on the government to procure the mRNA vaccines like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines which are more effective against the South African and Brazilian variants than the viral vector vaccines like Sinovac and AstraZeneca. Meanwhile Singapore has already accepted that it has seen the ‘South Asian’ variant entering its borders. Singapore govt. has put in measures that are near the so called ‘Circuit Breaker’ measures of curtailing gatherings, opening of restaurants etc. as the ‘South Asian’ variant spreads faster. As many as 17 countries have seen the B1617 variant which was 1st discovered in India. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/ttsh-covid-19-cluster- indian-variant-coronavirus-tan-tock-seng-14742808 The B1617 variant of Covid-19 is being called the ‘Indian’ variant and the Indian community is not very happy about this. The Indian Thai Chamber of Commerce has issued a letter to a local English newspaper to not call it as ‘Indian’ variant. The workplaces are now being infected as a steel plant in Samut Chedi in Samut Prakarn has now seen nearly 50% of its workers infected with the virus. As of yesterday, as many as 151 of the employees have been infected with the virus. There are a total of 314 employees of this firm. The hottest selling things in Thailand today are not anything to do with goods or services but tour to the United States to get vaccinated. Social media is buzzing with programs to help people get vaccinated in the United States with the vaccine of choice be it Pfizer, Modena or Johnson & Johnson. The tour US tour for J&J program starting at 175,000 The program is 100% full now, as people with money and visa are already booking their tickets and tour packages to USA. These people are running away as they feel that the Thai government is not taking concrete steps to vaccinate and offer variety of vaccines to the people. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thailand came out to say that people should be aware that they may be taken for a ride as many of the states in USA does not offer vaccines for everybody. The Ministry of Public Health of Thailand came out to say that it is unlikely that this is true that one can get themselves vaccinated because the Americans themselves have not 100% vaccinated yet. Tom Kruesopon, an outspoken commentator on social media, came out to challenge the statement by Ministry of Pubic Health by saying that he too got vaccinated and got the option of getting Pfizer in the United States. In a social media post he posted pictures of himself getting vaccinated in the Untied States. Someone who is so called ‘Robinhood’ in east cost of USA, who is known to Thai Enquirer got himself vaccinated. This person has been in the USA for the past 5-years after his 6-month tourist visa expired 4/12 years ago In a social media post this ‘Robinhood’ posted he got vaccinated with Pfizer. For those looking at vaccination vacation Here are the possible countries that offer the services Maldives / UAE / Serbia / Mauritius / USA / Norway / Russia Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra or “Tony Woodsome” revealed during CARE Clubhouse Care Talk on the Covid-19 crisis topic that he was puzzled by the government’s decision to pick AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines while the rest of the world prefer Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Thaksin even said Sinopharm vaccine is, in fact, the mainstay of China’s own immunization drive. He could not comprehend the government’s vaccine procurement choices. Thaksin went on to claim that Pfizer vaccines have been imported to Thailand but in a small quantity and to be given to a certain group of people. He also questioned the government’s reluctance to allow private companies to import Covid-19 vaccines to Thailand. Separately, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 3 more Covid-19 vaccines for use in Thailand, while 3 more companies are in the process of registration. FDA secretary-general Dr Phaisan Dankhum revealed Moderna has submitted all required documents last week, and its Covid-19 vaccine should be registered this month. The FDA has approved 3 Covid-19 vaccines, including AstraZeneca, Sinovac’s CoronaVac and Johnson & Johnson. Following mounting criticism against the government’s choice of vaccine producers, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has come out to say that people cannot yet choose which Covid-19 vaccine they receive. Anutin said Thailand is not ordering the same amounts of all types of Covid-19 vaccine. The types of vaccines to be used for certain groups depend on their circumstances. There are no laws requiring people to be vaccinated. It is their right if they want to be vaccinated, and the government has the vaccines for them. Charoen Pokphand Group (CP) yesterday launched a mass vaccination scheme to support the government in tackling the spread of Klong Toei’s Covid-19 cluster. CP has set up a mass vaccination facility at Lotus Rama IV, aimed at vaccinating at least 1,000 people per day. The vaccination scheme is expected to last for 2-3 weeks to support the government in curbing the spread of Covid-19 in Klong Toei communities, home to around 90,000 people, said Suphachai Chearavanont, CEO and executive chairman of CP Group. Over 300 people have been infected across Klong Toei’s communities alone. Political News The Government House saw 11 cases of Covid-19 among the cleaning staff. To make matters worse as many as 11 cleaning staff of the Senate are also infected. This could prompt a possible delay in the planned opening of the parliament later this month. The Constitutional Court is scheduled to give a ruling today on whether Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thamanat Prompow, who is also the Phalang Pracharat Party (PPRP)’s deputy leader, is fit to hold a cabinet portfolio and keep his MP status given his criminal record in Australia. The ruling stems from a petition against Thamanat filed by 51 opposition MPs in May last year. Thamanat was sentenced to 6 years in prison in 1993 by an Australian appeal court in a case related to heroin smuggling, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. When opposition MPs grilled him over his drugs-related conviction during a no-confidence debate last year, he strongly denied involvement in the case. It is said that Thamanat is currently the favourite for the PPRP’s secretary- general’s post.