Chiwit Thai

[Yamato]

Pack lunch to work today, seldom do this but then its nice to have home cooked food in office

 

 

 

 

Soup, braised pork and rice

 

[Yamato]

Today’s Covid new cases. Numbers in prison exploded.

 

New Cases
Thailand 2,101 ( -364 )
Prison 2,702 ( +1,408 )
———————————————-
Total 4,803 ( +1,044 )

 

Deaths 34 ( 0 )

 

 

[Yamato]

Today’s Covid new cases. 

New Cases
Thailand 2,626 ( +525 )
Prison 1,902 ( -800 )
———————————————-
Total 4,528 ( -275 )

 

Deaths 34 ( -10 )

 

 

[Yamato]

Hahaha morning had 2 beers became lazy

 

Today’s Covid new cases.

 

New Cases
Thailand 3,532 ( +906 )
Prison 1,953 ( -51 )
———————————————-
Total 5,485 ( +977 )

 

Deaths 19 ( -15 )

 

 

[Yamato]

Don't know why, this news simply don't make me any happier.

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2124511/bangkok-spa-parks-beauty-clinics-to-open-tuesday

 

Bangkok spa, parks, beauty clinics to open Tuesday
Five groups of places allowed to operate with some restrictions
PUBLISHED : 31 MAY 2021 AT 14:55

 

Operators of massage shops and spas gather at City Hall on Monday to ask the Bangkok governor to review the closure order on their establishments. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration agreed on the same to allow them to operate, with restrictions. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)

 

City Hall has allowed some places with no reports of Covid clusters to open from Tuesday, including spas and beauty clinics.

 

Its communicable disease committee met on Monday to consider easing Covid-19 measures for businesses.

 

The panel decided that since the Covid clusters to date were found in communities, markets and construction workers’ camps, measures for other places should be eased to help operators.

 

The places allowed to operate from Tuesday are:

 

- museums, learning centres, with strict measures in place such as a ban on group visits
- tattoo shops, or shops providing any kind of skin-piercing services, and nail salons
- beauty and weight-control clinics and shops
- spas and massage shops, except sauna and facial massage services
- public parks, botanical or floral gardens, with strict measures in place such as a ban on group sitting and consumption of food and drinks, except drinking water

 

Other places remain temporarily closed until June 14. 
 

[Yamato]

Meanwhile

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2123987/73-of-thais-feel-hopeless-amid-pandemic-poll

 

73% of Thais feel 'hopeless' amid pandemic - poll
PUBLISHED : 30 MAY 2021 AT 09:50

 

People bring food and masks to homeless people living by Victory Monument on May 1, 2021. (Bangkok Post photo)

 

About three-quarters of the population feel anxious and hopeless about their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the result of an opinion survey by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, or Suan Dusit Poll.

 

The poll was conducted online on 1,713 people throughout the country during May 24-27 to gauge the population's mental state in the "Covid-19 era".

 

Respondents were allowed to choose more than one answer to each question.

 

Regarding their state of mind, 75.35% said they were under stress and worried; 72.95% felt hopeless; 58.27% felt irritated; 45.19% frightened; and 13.50% were in a normal mental condition.

 

Asked about the causes, 88.33% cited the worsened Covid-19 pandemic; 74.53% pointed to the economic slump; 51.89% cited concerns over vaccination; 36.50% mentioned travel and traffic conditions; and 15.98% cited health concerns.

 

Asked what they wanted the government, state agencies and the private sectors to do to alleviate the crisis, 74.96% said mass inoculation should be expedited; 60.52% wanted all concerned to step up efforts to solve economic problems; 56.51% wanted them to give people clear, unambiguous information about Covid-19; 54.86% wanted assistance to those affected to be evenly distributed; and 49.91% wanted Covid tests to be carried out in all areas.

 

[Yamato]

Today’s Covid new cases.

 

New Cases
Thailand 2,153 ( -1,379 )
Prison 77 ( -1,876 )
———————————————-
Total 3,390 ( -2,095 )

 

Deaths 38 ( +19 )

 

 

[Yamato]

On Sunday I cooked traditional Chinese glutinous rice 古早味糯米饭.

 

 

 

Ingredient 

 

Steaming  

 

Sunday Lunch

 

[Yamato]

My bad 😂

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2124667/ccsa-blocks-todays-reopening

 

CCSA blocks today's reopening
published : 1 Jun 2021 at 04:00

 

[img]https://static.bangkokpost.com/media/content/20210601/c1_2124667_210601104316.jpg[/img]
Museums, beauty clinics, tattoo shops, nail salons and massage parlours remain close. (Bangkok Post file photo)

 

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has put the brakes on City Hall's plan to allow five types of businesses, including spas and beauty clinics, to reopen today.

 

The Facebook page of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said the CCSA had delayed the reopening by another 14 days.

 

However, it did not give any further details regarding the matter.

 

The abrupt order has raised speculation about the reason for the delay but observers said the Covid-19 situation in the capital was still worrying, so this was possibly the rationale behind the CCSA's caution.

 

The Bangkok Post yesterday attempted to contact CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin but he was not immediately available.

 

Earlier yesterday, the BMA's communicable diseases committee decided to allow several public places to reopen today following a drop in new cases, as long as they followed the government's strict Covid-19 guidelines.

 

Museums, beauty clinics, tattoo shops, nail salons and massage parlours were all due to reopen, albeit with strict limits on the number of visitors allowed.

 

However, saunas were not part of the easing proposal.

 

Public parks and gardens were also scheduled to reopen, with strict measures in place to prevent large crowds from gathering.

 

The BMA had stressed, however, that should any infections be found at the above venues, they would have to immediately close for a further 14 days.

 

They would also need to be thoroughly disinfected before being allowed to reopen.

 

However, other premises, such as night entertainment venues, karaoke bars and fitness centres, would have to remain shut until June 14, the BMA said.

 

Bangkok reported 1,356 new cases yesterday, most of which were centred around a residential camp for construction workers in Bang Na district and a local community in Sathon district.

 

Prior to the announcement, representatives of craft beer makers and massage parlour owners went to City Hall to submit a letter calling on the Bangkok governor to allow their businesses to reopen.

 

Their letter said the ban on serving alcohol and the order to shut dining establishments at 11pm have affected a lot of small businesses, including brewers, dealers and exporters, none of which have received any compensation for their hardship.

[Yamato]

Today’s Covid new cases.

 

New Cases
Thailand 2,353 ( +200 )
Prison 1,087 ( +1,010 )
———————————————-
Total 3,440 ( +1,210 )

 

Deaths 38 ( same )

 

 

[Yamato]

Cooked brunch yesterday:

 

 

 

Brunch with sticky rice I cooked the day before

 

Vegetables soup

 

Tofu egg custard

 

[Yamato]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2125855/foreigners-get-jab-next-week

 

Foreigners get jab next week
Diplomats, consular workers 'go first'
PUBLISHED : 3 JUN 2021 AT 06:00
NEWSPAPER SECTION: NEWS, WRITER: PORAMET TANGSATHAPORN

 

 

The government has assured that all foreign nationals living in the kingdom who have registered for vaccination will start receiving the Covid-19 vaccine from next Monday.

 

Sophon Iamsirithaworn, Disease Control Department deputy director general, said on Wednesday that vaccination for all foreign diplomats in the country would be carried out the same day as the government's mass vaccination programme, based upon an advanced reservation system.

 

"Currently, we have started vaccinating diplomats and their families, and international organisations -- such as UN staff, in which they have registered in advance to get a vaccine from designated hospitals," Dr Sophon said.

 

According to Dr Sophon, all diplomatic staff, consular representatives and staff from international organisations in Thailand were required to register from June 1–6 via www.ThailandIntervac.com/diplomats.

The booking was required one day in advance of the jab date.

 

The jab would take place at MedPark Hospital and Vimut Hospital.

 

"For general foreigners, they can get the jab on the same day as Thais," Dr Sophon told an online forum titled "Briefing for Thailand Journalists on the National Vaccine Rollout".

 

"Emphasis should be given to the elderly and those who have seven underlying diseases."

 

The forum was co-hosted by the Public Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) to equip the media with vaccine scheme information so they work in sync with the government.

 

Dr Sophon went on to say that foreigners who want to get vaccinated are also required to register via www.ThailandIntervac.com. Those who have booked via the Mor Prom Application would get an AstraZeneca jab.

 

Dr Sophon said there would be more vaccines assigned to Bangkok than other provinces as the population in the capital is dense and the spread of Covid-19 still relatively high.

 

"There will be almost one million doses of AstraZeneca and Sinovac altogether assigned to Bangkok," Dr Sophon said.

 

"In the first two weeks, around five hundred thousand doses should be administered.

 

The government expects 61 million doses from AstraZeneca and around 10–15 million dozes from Sinovac.

 

The department is also negotiating with Pfizer to supply another 20 million doses and Johnson & Johnson for 5 million dozes of their vaccine, he said

[Yamato]

Today’s Covid new cases.

 

New Cases
Thailand 2,656 ( +303 )
Prison 1,230 ( +143 )
———————————————-
Total 4,886 ( +446 )

 

Deaths 39 ( +1 )

 

 

Edited June 3, 2021 by Yamato

[Yamato]

Fried noodles for breakfast yesterday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 3, 2021 by Yamato

[Yamato]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2125747/astrazeneca-beginning-local-vaccine-deliveries

AstraZeneca beginning local vaccine deliveries
PUBLISHED : 2 JUN 2021 AT 16:16

 

[img]https://static.bangkokpost.com/media/content/20210602/c1_2125747.jpg[/img]
Delivery trucks leave the Siam Bioscience factory in Nonthaburi's Bang Yai district. The company said it will begin supplying the government with its Covid-19 vaccine this week. (Photo: AstraZeneca/Siam Bioscience)

 

AstraZeneca and Siam Bioscience on Wednesday announced they were ready to start supplying the government with Covid-19 vaccine produced in Thailand.

 

The announcement said the vaccine made by Siam Bioscience would be supplied to the Public Health Ministry.

 

The amount to be supplied initially was not announced, only that deliveries were beginning this week.

 

"AstraZeneca will deliver the first locally produced vaccine doses to Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, in support of their mass vaccination programme," the statement said.

 

"Distribution to other Southeast Asian countries will commence in the coming weeks,"  

AstraZeneca and Siam Bioscienceheld a ceremony on Wednesday to mark the first release of the vaccine.

 

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Tuesday that 6 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine would be delivered this month, with the first lot expected next Monday.

 

[Yamato]

Today’s Covid new cases.

 

New Cases
Thailand 2,442 ( -214 )
Prison 189 ( -1,041 )
———————————————-
Total 2,631 ( -1,255 )

 

Dead 31 (  -8 )

 

https://i.imgur.com/QdcGGdb.jpg[/img]
 

[Yamato]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-vaccines/Thai-king-owned-biotech-starts-production-of-AstraZeneca-vaccine?utm_campaign=RN Subscriber newsletter&utm_medium=coronavirus_newsletter&utm_source=NAR Newsletter&utm_content=article link&del_type=10&pub_date=20210604140000&seq_num=8&si=44594

 

Thai king-owned biotech starts production of AstraZeneca vaccine
Plans call for exports to other ASEAN countries as soon as next month

 

A picture of the Thai royals stands near a Siam Bioscience factory outside Bangkok.   © Reuters
MARIMI KISHIMOTO, Nikkei staff writerJune 4, 2021 02:17 JST

 

BANGKOK -- Siam Bioscience, a Thai drugmaker owned by the royal family, has started the country's first production of a COVID-19 vaccine, using AstraZeneca's technology.

 

The shots will be supplied for domestic use. Shipment volumes and other details have not been disclosed, but Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Tuesday that 6 million doses would be delivered this month, according to the Bangkok Post.

 

The government, which has faced criticism for delays in vaccinations, looks to start the rollout this month as new coronavirus infections surge. Plans also call for exporting the AstraZeneca doses to neighboring countries as early as next month.

 

King Maha Vajiralongkorn is a majority shareholder in Siam Bioscience, which gained exclusive rights to produce AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine in Thailand under a contract signed with the British drugmaker in November.

 

In May, AstraZeneca announced that vaccines manufactured in Thailand passed quality inspections at laboratories in Europe and the U.S. Siam Bioscience is the sole producer of AstraZeneca's vaccine in Southeast Asia, and the U.K. company said that shipments to neighboring nations "will commence in the coming weeks."

 

Community-acquired COVID-19 infections were declining in Thailand, but the number of new infections has risen sharply in recent weeks, partly because people returned to their hometowns for the Songkran holidays in April.

 

Thailand has had 169,348 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, with 1,146 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center. This compares with over 1.8 million cases and 51,095 deaths in Indonesia, Southeast Asia's hardest-hit country.
 

[Yamato]

 

Last resorts? Phuket and Bali chase dream of COVID-free tourism
Plans for ring-fenced 'sandboxes' and 'green zones' to revive economies

MASAYUKI YUDA and SHOTARO TANI, Nikkei staff writersJune 4, 2021 05:00 JST

 

BANGKOK/JAKARTA -- Clear skies, emerald blue seas and white sandy beaches. Phuket's allure is obvious, as millions of foreign tourists have discovered. But today, the future of this Thai island in the Andaman Sea and the lives of its people are being shaped by the unseen but deadly coronavirus.

 

Saranya Injan manages Chean Vanich pier located in a small cove on the east coast of Phuket. The tourist boats and ferries that once churned almost ceaselessly through here now lie moored and quietly rocked by the tide.

 

"Phuket is so desolate right now. It's like a ghost town," said the 51-year-old.

 

Thailand's best-known resort and others like it across Southeast Asia have been brought to their knees by border control measures to contain the COVID-19 virus, shutting out the foreign tourists who were once the lifeblood of the local economy. Without them, businesses are slowly dying.

 

But if all goes well, from next month some may again welcome thousands of tourists in unusual -- and, some say, risky -- initiatives that aim to ring-fence island resorts and keep them COVID-free.

 

From July 1, Thailand is set to conduct a "sandbox experiment," using Phuket as a testing ground to welcome vaccinated foreign visitors with no quarantine period.

 

Phuket has become a "ghost town," says the manager of a pier where tourist boats are now idle.   © Getty Images

 

Meanwhile, the equally tourist-dependent Indonesian island of Bali -- where visitor numbers have also been decimated by border closures -- plans to designate three popular tourist areas as COVID-19 "green zones," which are able to reopen with strict hygiene protocols.

 

Coming at a time when the pandemic shows little sign of loosening its grip on the region -- indeed, cases are rising in many areas due to new flare-ups and variants -- some think the initiatives are a step too far. But the chance of making money again is strong.

 

"Some people are afraid of starving more than contracting the disease," said another Phuket pier operator.

 

On the face of it, Thailand's requirements to enter the "sandbox" are strict. Tourists must arrive on a direct flight from countries with low to medium infection risks. They must be fully vaccinated for at least 14 days before departure and show a negative test result within 72 hours of boarding their flights.

 

In return, they will be allowed to move freely in Phuket upon arrival. If a mandatory test on the fifth day of their stay is negative, they will be allowed a daytrip off the island.

 

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects 129,000 foreign visitors in the first three months of the sandbox experiment, with long-haul markets the main target. If the experiment succeeds, vaccinated tourists in Phuket will be allowed to travel to places like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Krabi from October and travel freely around Thailand from 2022.

 

Most businesses are supportive and are getting ready. "We have prepared ourselves since the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Suphajee Suthumpun, CEO of Dusit Thani Group. "Most Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket hotel staff have been vaccinated ... furthermore, we have also asked all of our employees and their families to register for vaccination, to build confidence among customers and staff."

 

In mid-May, Central Phuket mall, operated by retail giant Central Pattana, became the first mall in Thailand to reach "herd immunity" level by inoculating 85% of staff. The Airline Association of Thailand started vaccinating 15,970 employees working for the country's seven airlines. AAT President and Bangkok Air CEO Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth said having airline employees vaccinated not only builds their confidence but also enhances the image of Thai tourism.

 

Delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in Phuket: Thailand wants to vaccinate 70% of Phuket residents before July.

 

Tourism and related businesses used to account for 20% of the Thai economy in pre-COVID times. But for Phuket, the proportion was almost 50%. Tourism will play a key role in reviving Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, which shrank 6.1% in 2020.

 

The Thai tourism industry has high hopes for the experiment. "The Phuket Tourism Sandbox has received a lot of interest from our international tourism alliances, who are looking forward to their vacations in Thailand again," hospitality operator Minor International told Nikkei.

 

But in contrast to excitement within the government and tourism industry, locals are voicing concerns.

 

"Many residents in Phuket not involved in the tourism industry are worried about contracting the virus from foreign visitors," said a 60-year-old working in education. "All who benefit from the reopening say Phuket is ready. I am not confident that Phuket is ready to open to foreigners."

 

 

The government aims to inoculate 70% of Phuket residents before July. Deputy Gov. Pichet Panapong asked city chiefs and village heads to make door-to-door visits to encourage people to get shots. But with several clusters emerging nationwide, a third coronavirus wave may make it difficult and contentious for authorities to allocate enough vaccines to the island.

 

Some businesses on the island survived by serving domestic visitors while foreign tourists were away. They are still skeptical about whether they can rely on the return of foreign tourists.

 

"Infections may deter domestic visitors from coming to the island," said a local Thai restaurant owner.

 

But Minor International says: "The revenue derived from Thai tourists alone is not enough for the industry to survive. This is why it is vital that the country reopens to international tourists as soon as possible."

 

The Thai tourism industry has high hopes that the Phuket "sandbox" experiment will revive the visitor economy.   © Reuters

 

In Bali -- 10 times bigger and more populous than Phuket -- many locals are also desperate for tourists to return.

 

A 90-minute drive from the island's Ngurah Rai International Airport lies Ubud, an area of deep forests and lush rice terraces that offers tourists a diversion from Bali's nightclubs. But visitors nowadays are few because of the countrywide ban on foreign tourists.

 

"Right now, Ubud is dead," said Kadek Merhajaya, manager at Hujan Locale, a restaurant there.

 

Indonesia is less dependent than Thailand on tourism, which contributed 5.7% to gross domestic product in 2019. But Bali is much more reliant on visitors and its economy has been decimated by the pandemic. Its GDP contraction of 9.3% in 2020 was the deepest among Indonesia's 34 provinces. Hotel occupancy rates have hovered around 10%.

 

Figures from February showed 657,000 workers, or 19% of the island's working-age population affected by the pandemic in some way, including being laid off. Officials have said that at the height of the pandemic, the province was losing 9.7 trillion rupiah ($680 million) each month.

 

But light may soon be at the end of the tunnel with two big drives to bring people to Bali.

 

The first is the "Work from Bali" program to send up to 8,000 Jakarta-based civil servants to the island. "This is part of the government's efforts to create demand so that hotels and restaurants in Bali can survive," Odo Manuhutu, deputy for tourism and creative economy at the minister's office, told reporters in late May.

 

Some workers at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy have already begun working from Bali, said its minister Sandiaga Uno in early June. "But this is only a trigger and we hope other institutions including the private sector and education can participate so that the hotel occupancy rate can reach 30%."

 

 

Then comes foreign tourism. The intent is to designate Ubud and two other popular tourist areas -- Sanur and part of Badung, in the island's south -- as COVID-19 "green zones" able to reopen with stricter hygiene protocols. As part of the plans, the government aims to inoculate 2.8 million Bali residents aged 18 or older -- or over 60% of the island's population -- by the end of June.

 

As in Thailand, tourists will also likely face strict health requirements, including full vaccination before arrival and five-day self-quarantine at designated hotels, while an app to track each visitor is rumored close to being launched.

 

Government officials have stressed that any reopening is contingent upon coronavirus cases being suppressed -- something Bali seems close to achieving, with daily new cases on a downward trend after peaking in late January.

 

The province accounts for around 2.6% of cumulative confirmed cases, but now only accounts for 0.7% of active cases. Bali is also the most vaccinated province in Indonesia: 31% of the population has had at least one dose and almost 15% has had two doses.

 

Many residents and business owners support the green zone plans. "It makes sense to trial the green zones in Bali," said Christia Permata Dharmawan, director at Kebon Vintage Cars, a museum and entertainment venue in East Denpasar, "so that tourists are not afraid to come here, and that they feel we welcome them with open arms. It's important they can trust Bali."

 

Bangla Walking Street in Phuket in April: Businesses on the island want to bring back visitors.   © Getty Images

 

But some experts remain skeptical. "There can be no such thing as a 'green zone' in the way it's being touted in Bali," said Dicky Budiman, global health security researcher at Griffith University in Australia. "The moment you open the door to a newcomer, the community is no longer safe because you will introduce a new variant. Bali's green zones are simply not feasible."

 

Gusti Ngurah Mahardika, a virus expert at Udayana University in Bali, said: "I think it's almost impossible to open only three areas to tourists as a green zone, as populations in these areas are dynamic. People are coming in and out all of the time." What the government should be considering, said Mahardika, "is making all of Bali a green zone ... so we can really open our borders safely. Bali is a small island, why can't they manage it?"

 

In both Bali and Phuket, businesses that have overcome previous crises -- such as the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and subsequent tsunami, or the 2002 Bali bombing -- hope next month can mark the start of their latest revival.

"We can make a comeback. Our past experiences showed us," said Saranya of Chean Vanich.

 

Boongyong Nuananong, a 57-year-old who runs a seafood restaurant at Rawai beach at the southern tip of Phuket, said the time was right for the island to move on.

 

"Even if infections persist, we have to adapt to live with it," he said. "If we are too afraid, we cannot make a living."

 

Additional reporting by Ian Lloyd Neubauer in Bali

Edited June 4, 2021 by Yamato

[Yamato]

2419 (community 2328, prison 91)
Dead 33, big increase from yesterday’s 23
 

[Yamato]

ITs Sunday and I felt like having mee rebus, so, got to cook for myself

 

 

 

 

[Yamato]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Thailand-begins-mass-inoculations-as-ASEAN-fights-supply-shortages?utm_campaign=RN Subscriber newsletter&utm_medium=daily newsletter&utm_source=NAR Newsletter&utm_content=article link&del_type=1&pub_date=20210607190000&seq_num=7&si=44594

Thailand begins mass inoculations as ASEAN fights supply shortages
Vietnam gears up to produce Russia's Sputnik vaccine next month

Residents of Pathum Thani Province receive their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on June 7, 2021. Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha says, "Everyone will definitely be inoculated. Vaccines will continue to come in."   © Reuters
MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerJune 7, 2021 16:01 JST

 

BANGKOK/HO CHI MINH CITY -- Thailand on Monday became the latest country to begin mass inoculations against COVID-19, a crucial step toward being able to revive an economy that lost its main drivers more than a year ago.

"Today is the start of nationwide vaccinations," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said at a kickoff event at Bang Sue Grand Station, a new commuter train hub in the capital that has been turned into a makeshift inoculation site. "No matter where you register, everyone will definitely be inoculated. Vaccines will continue to come in."

Elsewhere in Bangkok, large malls like Central World, Siam Paragon and Iconsiam have arranged to provide space where nearby residents can be vaccinated. Hospitals are collaborating in the effort.

As it begins its inoculation drive, Thailand finds itself in a race with its Southeast Asian peers for vaccines. Tiny Singapore has had some early success but faces difficulty in convincing seniors that the shots are safe. Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam hope to follow Thailand but are finding supplies hard to come by. Vietnam has asked the business community to help secure supplies.

Amid the struggle to obtain the scarce supplies that would allow them to reach herd immunity, these countries are also battling a new wave of infections.

In Thailand, the AstraZeneca vaccine will play the leading role. On Friday, the Ministry of Public Health received 1.8 million doses of the vaccine -- the first batch produced under license by Siam Bioscience, owned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

A local entity of AstraZeneca will gradually deliver a total of 6 million doses through June. The company did not specify if all of the supplies will come from the local partner.

"The allocation of vaccines depends on the number of vaccines that come in each period," said Kiattipoom Wongrachit, permanent secretary of the Public Health ministry. "They would be allocated in consideration of the vaccine-to-population ratio and the severity of the outbreak situation."

Thailand began selective vaccinations at the end of February, when Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul became the first Thailand resident to receive the Sinovac vaccine. A few weeks later, Prayuth received an AstraZeneca jab. Apart from ministers, health care professionals and other essential workers have been prioritized for shots.

 

As of Saturday, 2.8 million of Thailand's 70 million residents, including foreigners, had received their first injection, and 1.3 million had completed their two-shot course. Thailand intends to vaccinate 70% of its residents by the end of the year.

All along Siam Bioscience planned to begin delivering vaccine batches in May or June. While it has managed to keep to its schedule, the government has allowed the virus to spin into dangerous territory.

The kingdom is suffering from its third coronavirus wave. Between March 23 and Sunday, 149,591 people were found to have contracted the virus. This accounts for 84% of the cases confirmed in the country since the dawn of the pandemic. Prisons, construction worker campsites and factories have recently given rise to clusters.

The Thai government has reserved 61 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. In addition, it has received 6 million Sinovac jabs. This is not enough for the country to achieve herd immunity, so it is approving different vaccines as it tries to scrape together as many supplies as possible.

Apart from AstraZeneca and Sinovac, Thailand has approved vaccines from Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and China's Sinopharm. Russia's Sputnik V and India's Covaxin are being registered at the country's Food and Drug Administration.

Inoculating residents is a crucial step in moving the Thai economy, which shrank 6.1% in 2020, toward recovery. Recent outbreaks have prompted some provinces to send out closure orders to schools as well as businesses like bars, spas and cinemas.

Beginning in July, Thailand is scheduled to allow vaccinated foreign travelers to stay in Phuket without a quarantine period. If this "sandbox experiment" succeeds, the government intends to begin accepting vaccinated international visitors at other destinations, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Krabi. Beginning in 2022, plans are to allow vaccinated tourists to freely move around the country.

A high inoculation rate will make it easier to reopen businesses and borders.

Singaporeans older than 70 wait in an observation area after receiving vaccine injections. The city has fully vaccinated 31% of its population. (File photo by Reuters)

Southeast Asian nation's inoculation rates depend on their ability to secure jabs. Singapore is the region's most vaccinated nation. As of May 31, about 40% of its total population (2.28 million of 5.7 million) had received at least one shot, and 31% had been fully vaccinated, according to the health ministry.

Singapore's government has not detailed how many injections it has secured, but Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on May 31 said it had received "further confirmation of faster vaccine deliveries over the next two months."

The government now expects to administer at least one dose for all eligible residents by early August. The government uses the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, and has set up 40 inoculation centers nationwide. Residents use the internet to book appointments.

Singapore started vaccinating health care workers in December, then older age groups. Most shots are now being administered to residents age 40 to 44 as well as to students.

A significant portion of the elderly, however, has not received jabs. According to the government, 27% of people older than 60 have not made appointments, due to safety concerns, technical difficulties or other issues. The government now allows walk-in service at vaccination centers to encourage the elderly to get vaccinated.

Malaysia, which began its vaccination process in February, is currently performing 100,000 injections a day. As of Friday, some 2.29 million people had received jabs, with 1.13 million completing their two-shot course. The country, which has been under a tough nationwide lockdown since Tuesday due to a resurgence driven by more virulent variants, has a population of nearly 32 million.

A woman receives a shot in Subang Jaya. Malaysia aims to be inoculating 200,000 people a day by end of July 2021.   © Reuters

Previously, the country blamed its low vaccination rate on slow deliveries and unavailability as the countries producing vaccines hoarded supplies. Vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, China's Sinovac and AstraZeneca are currently in circulation.

The government aims to be inoculating 200,000 people a day by end of next month and is targeting the end of the year to reach herd immunity.

The Philippines on Monday started vaccinating its working-age population as it anticipates receiving additional supplies.

Manila expects to receive 10 million doses from different suppliers this month, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said last week, adding to the 8.3 million doses the country of 108 million had as of end-May.

The vaccination of workers -- the fourth category in an inoculation program that prioritized medical staff, the elderly and people with comorbidities -- comes as the government seeks to further open the economy and exit what last year became the worst recession in Southeast Asia.

The Philippines at the end of May had administered over 5 million doses, and 1.2 million people had received their second shots. It aims to administer 4 million to 5 million more doses this month.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish church in Quezon City, the Philippines. The country is to start vaccinating its working-age population sometime this month.   © AP

Vietnam lags its regional peers on the vaccination front, partly due to a supply shortage, and now finds itself in a race to secure additional supplies as India, fighting a devastating outbreak, has halted vaccine exports.

Vietnam had been seen as one of the best in the world in containing the virus. But the industrial hub of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces is now experiencing cluster infections.

The government, which hopes to avoid supply chain disruptions, is now prioritizing workers when it comes to vaccine shots.

The government intends to obtain 150 million doses and to vaccinate around 75% of its population of about 96.4 million.

But as of Sunday, the government had secured only 2.9 million doses. The country's political leaders are now encouraging the business community to obtain supplies and vaccinate workers.

"Vietnam's vaccine sources completely depend on the manufacturers," deputy health minister Truong Quoc Cuong said. "Vietnam is not in the group prioritized for vaccine supplies."

As of Friday, Vietnamese health authorities had reported securing 120 million doses, 38.8 million from the World Health Organization, 30 million from AstraZeneca, 31 million from Pfizer, 20 million from Russia and 5 million from Moderna.

Hanoi has approved the AstraZeneca and Sputnik vaccines, and on June 3 added the Sinopharm vaccine to its list for emergency use.

Hanoi is also negotiating to produce Russia's Sputnik vaccine in Vietnam, starting next month. In the deal, Vietnam's Vabiotech would be expected to produce 5 million doses a month.

Additional reporting by Kentaro Iwamoto from Singapore, P Prem Kumar from Kuala Lumpur, Cliff Venzon from Manila, and Kim Dung Tong in Ho Chi Minh City.

[Yamato]

So I had leftover of mee rebus on Sunday so Monday morning had it for breakfast before going to work

 

 

 

 

 

[Yamato]

Today’s Covid new cases.

 

New Cases
Thailand 2,128 ( -200 )
Prison 534 ( +443 )
———————————————-
Total 2,662 ( +243 )

 

Deaths 28 ( -5 )

 

 

[Yamato]

This morning woke up all of a sudden craving for lontong since its a common breakfast meal. Living in Thailand the only thing I can do first is to go to the market.

 

Came back and prepare.

 

 

Ingredients

 

 

 

Marvellous 

 

[Yamato]

Today’s Covid new cases.

 

New Cases
Thailand 2,400 ( +272 )
Prison 280 ( -253 )
———————————————-
Total 2,680 ( +18 )

 

Deaths 35 ( +7 )