Thailand on May 19 reported 3,394 new COVID-19 cases, raising the national count to 116,949; and 29 related fatalities, bringing the death toll to 678.
Medical workers at a COVID-19 vaccination site in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 7 (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand on May 19 reported 3,394new COVID-19 cases, raising the national count to 116,949; and 29 relatedfatalities, bringing the death toll to 678.
Over the previous 24 hours, there were 1,896 infectionsdetected in the general public and 1,498 in prisons.
Since the third COVID-19 wave started at the beginning ofApril, there have been 88,086 cases in the Southeast Asian country.
The Thai cabinet has approved the draft of an executivedecree authorising the government to borrow an additional 700 billion THB (22.25 billion USD) to revitalise the economy battered by the latest wave ofCOVID-19 infections, Bangkok Post quoted a government source as saying.
The draft was tabled at a cabinet meeting on May 18,chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
The decree will authorise the government to borrow themoney to rehabilitate the virus-hit economy as well as fund schemes to helppeople and entrepreneurs affected by the third wave of the pandemic which hasbeen more severe than the two previous rounds, the source said.
Of the 700-billion-THB loan, about 30 billion THB willbe earmarked for the procurement of medical supplies, vaccine shots, researchand the renovation of hospitals, it added.
With the new loan, public debt, at the end of September,is estimated at 9.38 trillion THB or 58.6 percent of the GDP which is close tothe fiscal sustainability framework ceiling of 60 percent.
The reason for issuing the new loan decree is because thegovernment has almost used up the 1-trillion-THB loan under the decree issuedlast year to ease the economic impact during the first wave of COVID-19,according to the source.
On May 11, the cabinet approved the disbursement of about834 billion THB under the 1-trillion-THB loan decree, with 166 billion THB remaining./.
Thailand and Indonesia have planned to buy more COVID-19 vaccines, while Singapore decided to stop accepting new entry applications for work pass holders from higher-risk countries or regions amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in many Southeast Asian nations.
Thailand’s Cabinet on May 11 approved a subsidy worth 6 billion baht (192 million USD) for sugarcane farmers who cut fresh cane for sugar factories instead of burning them, in a bid to reduce air pollution caused by the burning of plantations.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has downgraded its outlook for domestic tourism this year due to the economic downturn and a third wave of COVID-19.
Thailand’s Transport Ministry is gearing up for the resumption of air travel in November since the nation is promoting mass COVID-19 inoculation campaign.
In his article, Oscar Sanchez Serra highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s founding of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper on June 21, 1925, which marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press rooted in a bold and far-sighted vision.
Several ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place in Port Dickson this September, including the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the 15th ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the 13th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered the urgent implementation of a national policy to crack down on all forms of call centre scams, online fraud, and illegal gambling, which are now considered threats to national security.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Medical workers at a COVID-19 vaccination site in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 7 (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) 
