Dr Yong: Thailand’s top COVID strategist comes under fire

23 Sept 07:04 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's chief COVID-19 strategist, Prof Dr. Yong Poovorawan, faces an online petition seeking his removal from his university post, accusing him of making unscientific comments on vaccine strategies.
Accusations include proposing a 16-week gap for AstraZeneca doses and recommending a third Sinovac shot without sufficient scientific evidence, while allegedly not advocating for more effective vaccine imports.
Despite the backlash, Dr. Yong has received strong support from Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and university alumni, with some suggesting the criticism is politically motivated.
Dr. Yong has not directly responded to the accusations online but continues to share factual information and instructions related to the pandemic.

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

20 Oct 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.