Is Thailand rushing to categorize COVID-19 an endemic disease?

13 Sept 07:50 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand plans to declare COVID-19 an endemic disease this year, despite rising infections and World Health Organization warnings, asserting its pioneering approach to pandemic management.
The re-categorization would lead to the lifting of most restrictions, treating COVID-19 similarly to the flu, with home or community isolation becoming the primary treatment modes.
The Public Health Ministry justifies this move by highlighting the Omicron variant's low fatality rate, high national vaccination coverage, and effective disease control, despite a recent increase in daily cases.
However, some experts, like Dr. Thira Woratanarat, caution against rushing the declaration due to unknowns about Omicron and the long-term effects of 'long COVID,' suggesting a longer monitoring period before making a decision.

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

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.