Bangkok
Thailand’s Hospitals Are On the “Brink of Collapse” After COVID-19 Spreads Through Nightclubs
Thailand’s hospitals are on the “brink of collapse” due to a spread of COVID-19 that reportedly emanated from the country’s nightlife sector. The Independent reports Thailand’s third wave of COVID-19, which began in April, has intensified the country’s response to the virus. Its hospitals are now inundated as the number of cases rises, leading to a crisis wherein clinics have run out of ICU beds and doctors are forced to treat patients in car parks. Reports of victims dying on roads have incensed many in the region. “We don’t know where to put the sick people anymore, the ER units in many hospitals have to be temporarily closed because they no longer have bed spaces,” Department of Medical Services head Somsak Akksilp said in a news...
Thai prosecutor indicts 18 over anti-government protests
A Thai prosecutor on Monday indicted 18 activists for their roles in anti-government rallies last year by a protest movement that has brought unprecedented challenges to the royal palace and military-dominated establishment. The youth-led movement sprang up last year calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former junta leader, and reform of the powerful Thai monarchy, breaking a longstanding taboo under the country’s lese majeste law. Those indicted included three prominent leaders charged with sedition and lese majeste during rallies in September, where tens of thousands escalated calls for monarchy reforms. The other 15 protesters face trial for sedition and breaching a ban on public assembly. “There is sufficient evidence that the accused have committed wrongd...
