Thailand COVID-19

Health authorities have recommended that the suspension of a quarantine-free travel scheme be extended until January 31.

The move came a day after the country's health authorities identified the first local transmission of the new variant.

After a challenging year, the region's governments have ample reason to take the emergence of the new strain seriously.

The announcement follows queries about the efficacy of the Chinese vaccine, the world’s most widely used COVID-19 jab.

Many young Thais are deeply suspicious of the current government and its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The move marks an acceleration of the country’s timetable for the restart of its economically pivotal tourism industry.

Thailand's leader appears to be putting his own political survival over public health considerations or policy consistency

The move reflects Bangkok's new policy of balancing the endemic reality of COVID-19 with the need to reopen crucial sectors of the economy.

While it is unlikely to unseat Prayut Chan-o-cha, the debate will allow the opposition to exact a political cost from the government for its handling of the pandemic.

The current COVID-19 outbreak has exacerbated the country's already wide gap between rich and poor.

In recent weeks, the region has seen more than twice as many deaths from the coronavirus than North America.