Thailand orders an additional 50 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines

13 Sept 19:43 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Prime Minister ordered an additional 50 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, increasing the total procurement to 150 million to ensure comprehensive inoculation and future reserves.
The expanded order addresses uncertainties about herd immunity, vaccine efficacy against mutating viruses, and potential delivery delays experienced by other nations.
The government is actively negotiating with seven new vaccine suppliers to diversify procurement and overcome high global demand.
A revised strategy prioritizes administering the first vaccine dose to as many people as possible, aiming for half the population by July's end, as it significantly reduces symptom severity and death risk.

Suchada: Meet the reluctant star of Thailand’s cryptic crypto drama

Today 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.