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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Twitter bans account of prominent Thai hospital administrator

    Twitter banned the account of a prominent Thai hospital administrator on Wednesday, although no reason was given for the ban.


    Dr Suwadee Puntpanich, a director at Thonburi Bamrungmuang Hospital, was a prominent Twitter presence in Thailand with her account noted its criticism of the government’s Covid response and praised for finding hospital beds for hundreds of Covid-19 patients.


    Suwadee’s regularly tweeted updates about government vaccine policy and had criticized the government for now allowing private hospitals to bring in their own vaccine.


    Suwadee has also spent the last two weeks helping out Covid-19 positive patients on Twitter find a bed due to lack of hospital space in government facilities.


    Her activism has resulted in Troll campaigns mounted by unknown actors and has been the subject of criticism from government officials.


    Arthit Suriyawongkul, a coordinator for the Thai Netizen Network, told Thai Enquirer that it was not uncommon for government or private groups that support the government to mount mass ‘reporting’ campaigns against prominent voices.


    “We have never seen this kind of campaigned used on someone with Covid views but in the past there have been campaigns against political oppositions,” he said.


    Arthit warned that one should not jump to quick conclusions about the cause of the ban because large social media networks were especially sensitive to Covid-19 news over the past year.


    “It maybe an internal automatic algorithm that has caused this, we should not guess,” he said.



    Twitter bans account of prominent Thai hospital administrator - Thai Enquirer

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    had criticized the government for now allowing private hospitals to bring in their own vaccine.
    Well how else are people going to get vaccinated you silly moo?

  3. #3
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    I suspect that the article is supposed to say "not allowing" rather than "now allowing". The Thonburi Group Hospitals (and others) have been selling reservations for Moderna Vaccines for the past month or so. After about 10 million reservations were sold, the GPO announced that they were ordering only 5 million shots with 3.9 million arriving late this year and 1.1 million next year, effectively pulling the rug out from underneath the hospitals.

  4. #4
    กงเกวียนกำเกวียน HuangLao's Avatar
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    Rather disturbing that social media offerings can be highly influenced and manipulated by governments and corporations.

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat
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    Meanwhile......

    BANGKOK, July 15 (Reuters) - Germany's BioNTech (22UAy.DE) on Thursday denied it was in talks with Thailand's Thonburi Healthcare Group Pcl (THG.BK) for a deal to import 20 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine to Thailand.
    Thonburi Healthcare Group Pcl (THG.BK) had said it would sign a private order for 20 million doses of the Pfizer(PFE.N)- BioNTech, news of which saw the hospitals operator's share price leap over 13%.
    "We are not in negotiations with the company," BioNTech said in an e-mailed responding to a Reuters query about the deal. It also denied it was negotiations with any Thai entity.

    Pfizer, BioNTech deny talks with Thai Thonburi Healthcare on vaccines | Reuters

  6. #6
    Thailand Expat
    aging one's Avatar
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    PAG,

    Did you see on his announcement the stock soared 13% up. Looks like he was simply bullshitting. Its getting precarious with the news of a real Astra slowdown as well.

  7. #7
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by aging one View Post
    PAG,

    Did you see on his announcement the stock soared 13% up. Looks like he was simply bullshitting. Its getting precarious with the news of a real Astra slowdown as well.
    Yes, I noticed that as well. I think tellingly that BioNTech denied being in negotiations with any Thai entity. It has crossed my mind that a Chinese proxy could be being used for procurement, but even that, given the global demand for vaccines at the moment, the only ones arriving on Thailand's shores are those the rest of the world don't want.

  8. #8
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    So a pump 'n' dump then.

  9. #9
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    Looks that way.

  10. #10
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    I thought here in Thailand 'Pump and Dump' was the name of the business with the little Blue trucks!

    Twitter bans account of prominent Thai hospital administrator-2021-07-16-sewage-tank-truck

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grumpy John View Post
    I thought here in Thailand 'Pump and Dump' was the name of the business with the little Blue trucks!

    Twitter bans account of prominent Thai hospital administrator-2021-07-16-sewage-tank-truck
    I think that's dump and pump.

  12. #12
    I'm in Jail

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    Prayuth's composing his own music.


  13. #13
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Thai hospital tycoon sticks to guns on vaccine claims

    BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand’s Thonburi Healthcare Group Pcl (THG) doubled down on its outspoken chairman's claim to be buying Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines on Friday, helping its share price rise despite denials by both drugmakers.


    Dr. Boon Vanasin's claim that his group, a more than $800 million private medicine empire, was close to signing a deal for 20 million Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccines to import to Thailand was swiftly denied on Thursday by both companies, one day after a government agency filed a defamation suit against Boon, 82.


    On Friday, THG stuck to its guns.


    “THG has agreed to buy the vaccine and is currently in the process of filing documents with overseas dealers,” the company said in a statement.


    Boon even told local media an agreement would be signed by Friday afternoon. By close of business, there was still no evidence of any deal.


    THG shares closed 1.59% higher, having been up as much as 4% at one point.


    It's still unclear whether Boon was insincere, the victim of a scam or - as he asserts - in the process of a brilliant fix to Thailand’s desperate vaccine needs.


    Boon insists a deal was in the works through a government agency, which he declined to name.


    "We are not doing it directly," he told Reuters.


    Still, his comments on Thursday added about 1.5 billion baht ($45.80 million) to THG’s market capitalisation, bring it to 26.8 billion baht ($818.32 million), Refinitiv Eikon data shows.


    Thailand so far has only vaccinated 5 percent of its population of more than 66 million. It has been administering China's Sinovac vaccine and the AstraZeneca’s shots but the government seeking other imported doses.


    Boon, the Thai word for merit, has been on a quest for COVID-19 vaccines for months, arguing that the government should not monopolise supply and calling the vaccine policy “complacent and reckless.”


    In February, he tried to import vaccines, but was unsuccessful and later lodged a protest..


    Months later state drugmaker, the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO), said it would import five million doses of Moderna vaccine for private hospitals.


    Demand for mRNA vaccines in Thailand is growing. Pre-orders for Moderna vaccines through private hospitals were snapped up in a hurry.


    Boon criticised the GPO for its process and on Wednesday the GPO slapped a defamation suit against the John Hopkins-trained physician. He said he welcomed the complaint because evidence and documents could be revealed in court.


    Boon founded Thonburi hospital in 1976 and oversaw its expansion into a network of seven hospitals with 963 registered beds. He took the company public in 2017.


    THG, which also operates hospitals in Cambodia and Myanmar, booked losses of 215 million baht in the first quarter this year, taking a hit from the pandemic and drop off in medical tourists.


    The group is smaller than rivals like Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Pcl, and before the pandemic, its chairman began to carve out a niche. In 2017, he launched a $500 million 'medical city' for the elderly called Jin Wellbeing County, targeting Thailand’s ageing population and foreign retirees.


    Thai hospital tycoon sticks to guns on vaccine claims

  14. #14
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Thai hospital tycoon who promised Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine says deal now unlikely

    BANGKOK: The chair of Thailand's Thonburi Healthcare Group said on Wednesday that a deal to import 20 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine was unlikely to happen, despite his earlier claims that a deal was close.


    Thailand is battling its biggest Covid-19 outbreak yet, and has been racing to secure vaccines. Last month, THG chairman, Boon Vanasin, said talks to clinch a deal with BioNTech was nearing conclusion, but both Pfizer and BioNTench said they were not in talks with THG.


    "Our problem is that we are unable to import it because it has to come through a government agency," Boon said during a televised interview with the MCOT television station on Wednesday. "I think we won't be able to do it," he added.


    Boon did not say with which importer his group had been working. THG shares fell 8.13% on Wednesday along a benchmark decline of 0.35%.


    Last month, BioNTech denied it was in talks with THG while a Pfizer spokesman said the company was only in discussions with Thailand's health ministry and disease control department.


    Boon had previously said he was working to secure the vaccines indirectly, via an unnamed government agency.


    Thailand has since late April been faced with a surge in Covid-19 infections, driven by the highly contagious Delta variant of the Coronavirus.


    The Southeast Asian country's main vaccine rollout began in June and has depended mainly on Sinovac and locally manufactured AstraZeneca vaccines.


    Just over 6% of Thailand's 66 million population been fully vaccinated so far. Delays in the government inoculation programme have been compounded than lower than expected local manufacturing capacity of the AstraZeneca vaccine.


    The government has struck a deal for 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, due to arrive later this year, and says it has plans to purchase an additional 10 million doses.

    pfizer covid 19 vaccine: Thai hospital tycoon who promised Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine says deal now unlikely, Health News, ET HealthWorld

  15. #15
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    So a pump 'n' dump then.
    Quote Originally Posted by cyrille View Post
    Looks that way.

  16. #16
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    I'm sure they will be double quick to investigate it.


  17. #17
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Thonburi Healthcare President accused of allegedly sharing fake news of Pfizer vaccine procurement

    Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, Chairman of the Crime Victims’ Assistance Club, has filed a complaint against the President of Thonburi Healthcare Group (THG), Dr. Boon Vanasin, for allegedly sharing fake news of the THG’s Pfizer vaccine procurement.


    Atchariya reported to the CyberCrime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) that he personally believed that neither Dr. Boon nor the Thonburi Healthcare Group had contacted and negotiated with related Pfizer representatives to import 20 million doses of the mRNA vaccines.


    He told reporters: “I believed there was no negotiation because the Pfizer representatives would only make a trading agreement in the state-to-state condition and there were five government agencies that are allowed to do so. And many of these agencies have denied making any procurement contract of Pfizer Vaccines with Dr. Boon.”

    Additionally, the claimed price of 1,300 baht per dose of the vaccine was, according to his statement, a false incentive aimed to increase the shares of the THG in the stock market as the company stock has risen up by 13 percent in the market after Dr.Boon had announced the negotiation with the Pfizer representatives.


    CCIB commissioner, Kornchai Klaiklueng, received the complaint and said the officers would collect more evidence but preliminarily, the officials could not determine whether the doctor’s message was considered fake news.

    Thonburi Healthcare President accused of allegedly sharing fake news of Pfizer vaccine procurement - The Pattaya News

  18. #18
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    SEC probes THG vaccine mystery



    BANGKOK: The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) yesterday (Aug 4) ordered Thonburi Healthcare Group (THG) and its chairman Boon Vanasin to clarify certain facts within seven days regarding his recently scrapped plans to import Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines into Thailand.

    Financial analysts are now warning investors to be wary of buying shares in THG, due to high price volatility over the past few weeks and the possibility of an investigation into the company by the markets regulator.


    THG’s share price yesterday plunged 8.13% to close at B28.25, with trade worth B200.49 million.


    The regulator has asked THG and Dr Boon to clarify reasons and facts regarding his failure to procure Pfizer vaccines as promised.


    Dr Boon had told the media on August 3 that the company planned to sign a contract to import 20 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence “within the week” when the news was published.


    On the same day, the Defence Ministry’s spokesman denied the news and confirmed that the Ministry and its affiliates currently have no plans or agreements with any private agency to purchase or import the Pfizer vaccines.


    However, Dr Boon claimed he has lost B500-600mn of deposit due to the company’s breach of contract terms, suggesting the existence of a contract.


    The regulator believes that such facts are contradictory. It said they may affect the rights of the shareholders or their investment decisions and cause confusion and the company’s share price to make unusual moves.


    “The SEC therefore, by virtue of Section 58 [1] and [2] of the Securities and Exchange Act, asked THG and Dr Boon to clarify the relevant information within seven days from August 4, as well as provide the explanation through the SET’s [Stock Exchange of Thailand] electronic system,” stated the SEC.


    The SEC has issued two letters to Dr Boon and the chief executive of THG to clarify the matter.


    Meanwhile, the SET yesterday urged investors to be cautious when making an investment in THG.


    Piyapat Patarapuvadol, an analyst at Yuanta Securities, said THG’s price had been fluctuating greatly following news of the vaccine import.


    “The SEC is still investigating if the THG share price has been speculated,” he said. “Therefore, investors should be cautious about investing in the stock during this period. If any negative news regarding the stock comes out, it can result in losses.”

    SEC probes THG vaccine mystery

  19. #19
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    I'm stunned.

    Although of course I should really expect a "Thai-style" investigation.

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