Thailand Police Use Tear Gas on Protesters Angry with Virus Response

As thousands marched to protest the government's handling of the country's biggest coronavirus outbreak, Thailand riot police fired tear gas and water cannons at pro-democracy activists rallying in the capital.

Despite limitations on public gatherings of more than five people with daily infections at an all-time high, demonstrators wearing face masks marched near the government house in central Bangkok.

They asked that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha resign and that the royal family's and military's fiscal budgets be perted to the management of the Covid-19 outbreak and the procurement of new vaccines.

Thailand is dealing with the worst Covid-19 outbreak in its history, which is being exacerbated by the extremely virulent delta strain. The total number of patients has surpassed 400,000, with daily mortality exceeding records.

On Sunday, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul directed Nakorn Premsri, the head of the National Vaccine Institute, to make a ministerial announcement designating a portion of AstraZeneca vaccines for export and the balance for domestic use.

According to government spokesperson Traisu, the draft will be submitted to the nation's Covid panel for consideration in an effort to improve the country's vaccination supplies.

The move comes after the Isranews Agency reported in June on leaked letters between Anutin and AstraZeneca Plc, which revealed Thailand had initially ordered 3 million doses of vaccines to be delivered to the country each month, contradicting the government's promise to the public of 10 million shots per month.

The minister told Isranews on Saturday that he wrote back to the vaccine manufacturer and asked for 10 million doses every month.

The Ministry of Public Health intends to convene a meeting with the Thai food and Drug Administration to address the country's demand for mRNA vaccines from companies like Pfizer and Moderna. From Monday, the ministry's department of health will implement its mixed-vaccination plan, according to the statement.

AstraZeneca had intended to produce 180 million doses of its Covid vaccine this year through its partner Siam Bioscience Ltd., with the goal of exporting two-thirds to Southeast Asian countries and Thailand receiving a third of the production under a previous arrangement.