2021: The year Thailand walked a COVID tightrope of hope and horror

14 Sept 04:31 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand endured a devastating COVID-19 crisis through much of 2021, battling successive waves driven by the Alpha and Delta variants that led to soaring infections, hundreds of daily deaths, and overwhelmed healthcare facilities.
A significant mass vaccination drive brought a period of hope and recovery in late 2021, sharply reducing daily cases and deaths, allowing for the easing of lockdown measures, resumption of daily activities, and reopening of schools and businesses.
The year concluded with renewed uncertainty as the highly transmissible Omicron variant emerged, threatening to trigger another major surge despite earlier progress, prompting event cancellations and warnings of up to 30,000 daily infections.

Nationwide crackdown launched on illegal nominee shareholders and land holdings

Yesterday 15:20 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul initiated a nationwide crackdown on illegal Thai nominee shareholders in foreign-run businesses and land holdings to safeguard national interests.
The government will integrate efforts across all relevant agencies to target illicit foreign operations, forced sales of illegally acquired property, and high-risk land ownership schemes.
Key strategies include auditing suspect land and building holdings, establishing a long-term monitoring system, and cross-referencing data from various authorities to trace ultimate beneficial owners.
Prime Minister Anutin emphasized that no influential figures or corrupt officials are above the law, promising straightforward prosecution, asset seizures, and protection for enforcing officers.
Beyond land ownership, the integrated crackdown will also extend to tackle transnational crimes, including drug and human trafficking.