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Thailand’s sluggish vaccine rollout no match for super-contagious COVID strain

23 Sept 06:47 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand grapples with a record COVID-19 surge, fueled by a super-contagious strain, while its vaccination rate lags significantly, inoculating less than 1% of the population.
The government faces intense criticism for slow vaccine procurement and deployment, compounded by lingering public doubts about the efficacy and safety of available Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines.
Despite efforts to accelerate the drive, including private sector support, the first major batch of locally produced AstraZeneca vaccines is not expected until June, hindering immediate widespread inoculation.
Concerns over vaccine effectiveness against new variants persist, with AstraZeneca showing reduced efficacy against the UK strain and Sinovac offering limited protection, further complicating the public health response.

Yesterday 15:38 Key points summarised by AI

Thai MP Suchada Zhang Thaensap faces intense scrutiny over her husband’s substantial 1.84 billion baht wealth, with opposition lawmakers alleging connections to international scam networks.
A significant portion of her husband, Taiyang Zhang's, declared assets includes a 1.44 billion baht loan to the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, which still owes him 1.34 billion baht.
Opposition MP Rangsiman Rome accused Suchada's husband of links to online scam networks and gambling sites, prompting Suchada to vehemently deny the claims, demand evidence, and file a defamation complaint.
Taiyang Zhang's background includes co-founding Ren Protocol, later sold to Alameda Research (linked to the FTX collapse), and some of his former associates have been convicted in crypto company failures.
Suchada, a former actress and first-time MP, maintains her husband's innocence, while her party leaders have distanced themselves from the allegations, deeming it a private matter.