Thailand

Military hospitals and field hospitals run by the military have been told to prepare to take in Covid-19 patients as the number of infections in Thailand continue to rise. Defence Ministry spokesman Kongcheep Tantravanich said yesterday Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered the armed forces to open up their hospitals to help stave off a shortage of …

Almost 20 million people registered for Covid-19 financial aid in less than 48 hours, almost seven times the number estimated by authorities. The handout — at 5,000 baht per person per month for three months from April — is intended for about 3 million temporary employees, contract employees and self-employed individuals who are not covered by the social security system, …

Krungthai Bank has apologised after the website allowing self-employed people to register to receive financial aid did not work as planned. The state bank, which is responsible for the website, asked people to try again at midnight. Earlier, authorities asked people to start registering at 6pm on Saturday. The Finance Ministry said affected people do not have to rush to …

Though the partial lockdown has turned people’s lives upside down, it is gaining traction with the public as the government scrambles to control the spread of Covid-19. The Emergency Decree was applied nationwide from March 26, banning the entry of foreigners, prohibiting public gatherings and urging people to stay at home. The decree came after Bangkok was put under partial …

Commercial banks that made the announcements as of Saturday morning are Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank, Siam Commercial Bank, Bank of Ayudhya, TMB Bank, Thanachart Bank, UOB, Kiatnakin, LH Bank and CIMB Thai. The state-owned GH Bank also closed on Saturday. Three other state banks made the same announcements earlier. They were the Government Savings Bank (GSB), Krungthai Bank and the Bank …

Asian equities rallied again and the dollar extended losses on Friday, with traders buoyed by government and central bank pledges to prop up the global economy as the coronavirus sends countries into lockdown. Despite the painful toll the disease is inflicting on lives and economies, markets are on course to end the week with healthy gains following a barrage of …

Around the world, countries are expanding access to hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and chloroquine (CQ), related compounds that are synthetic forms of quinine, which comes from cinchona trees and has been used for centuries to treat malaria. HQ which is the less toxic of the two, is also used as an anti-inflammatory to treat conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, purposes it …

State-owned Government Savings Bank (GSB) expects the bank’s sponsored 150 billion baht in soft loans, part of efforts to help small businesses hurt by the Covid-19 outbreak, to be taken out within two months. Based on previous soft-loan schemes, the entire amount should be doled out within two months, said Chatchai Payuhanaveechai, GSB president and chief executive. Based on previous …

Property developers are opting for online channels and applications to sell residential units and provide services to customers, while minimising possible risks from coronavirus infections. Vittakarn Chandavimol, chief of corporate strategy and creation for SET-listed developer AP Thailand, said the company has applied technological adaptations to working processes and customer services. “We’re using online channels such as live streaming through …

Chiang Mai province was hit by unprecedented levels of air pollution on Wednesday as intensifying forest fires sent PM2.5 levels in some areas up to 592 microgrammes per cubic metre (ug/m3) of air, almost 12 times above safe levels. The level of PM2.5 — fine dust that can get lodged in lungs and cause coronary disease — rose to 592 …