Thailand races to create COVID vaccine, eyes possible medical tourism boost

[Almer]

27 minutes ago, KhunKenAP said:

So how does Thailand expect to be first to develop a vaccine? Brown envelopes to test subjects?

Nope, 200baht and local doctor seal of approval.

[Skallywag]

It is all a Chinese plot, they want Thailand to prosper while they take over 

[Caldera]

Of course the article didn't fail to mention that Thailand is a "medical hub".

 

Any article on Thailand that doesn't mention the country is - or will at the very least become - a hub would have been a major disappointment.

[Know not me]

Yes Thailand the epic center of the medical break thru. Similar to the P.M. a  years ago saying the Thai language would one day be the universal language 

[Kerryd]

Can't wait for Anutin to announce that all "dirty farang" will have to accept being injected with an experimental vaccine before they can renew their Extensions or extend their Visas (but only the "dirty farang" and not the "clean Chinese").

Note that they are testing the vaccines on monkeys. Which means they have to inoculate those animals, then expose them to the virus (probably by injecting them with infected fluid).

But they aren't the first. There are articles going back to at least late April about different labs around the world doing testing on monkeys, specifically macaque monkeys as they are apparently the closest species to human beings.

Oh wait, I thought labs didn't do stuff like that ! You know, infect animals with viruses to see how they work and stuff. And of course, any lab that would actually do stuff like that (wink wink nudge nudge) would never let it accidentally be released outside the lab would they ? 

"Oops. So sorry. We had no idea that injecting a virus from one kind of animal into another kind of animal that already has a similar type of virus in it could cause them to evolve (maybe with a little "nudging") into a virus that is ideally suited to infecting humans !"
"Gee, I wonder what will happen if we inject that virus into another different kind of animal and see what happens."

No worries about accidental releases from Thai labs though because that kind of thing never happens. Not even from the highest level virology labs like they have in Beijing, Taiwan and Singapore (all of which accidentally released the SARs virus back into the population while studying it in their respective labs). Oops. 

Perfectly safe ! Now line up you dirty farangs and get your vaccine shot or no Extension for you !!

[dougiemac52]

14 hours ago, fruitman said:

The Thai never test anything and only care for money, a vaccin has to be tested very well or it can become a disaster with 

Load of <deleted> about containing the virus. How many people in the farming regions have reported having the virus. There will be none bcos people cannot afford to pay for tests and they will be frighteded to find out

[visacrack]

Re Thailand as a 'medical hub'

 

Very aware of the language component of doctor visits, I have developped the habit to have the full scope of medical issues investigated only in my native language area. 

 

In language areas where I am confident about my linguistic skills, I pursue a reduced number of medical problems only - 2nd language speaker is never the same as native speaker. And prior to venturing out, it's good to google the symptoms, develop a sense of the possible causes and the potential solutions -  then make up one's mind if it really should be taken care of there. Fx an inner-ear infection due to ocean swimming would get a green light. But only if the doctor is a native speaker there himself. In pc NZ, they once tried to enforce a foreign doctor on me, despite me expressly demanding a native english speaker - two foreign speakers will drag down each other, while a native speaking doctor is able to keep a fluent patient floating on a high level, language-wise. 

 

In countries where I don't speak the language, only very basic things that are safe to diagnose and don't require discussions/deliberations regarding therapy would be followed up - like a bronchitis. 

 

The rest (like fx spine-related issues) remains on my to-do list for home visits - always hoping that they can be delayed long enough...

 

And I'm not a hypochonder, in fact as a low-fat individual I'm quite healthy most of the time, despite my advanced age. 

 

Considering all this, Thailand can never become a global medical hub to quality-minded patients in that sense, because we will never be able to speak sufficiently thai for a satisfying degree of communication, like thai doctors will never be able to speak sufficiently english - english is just too unnatural for them (as thai is for us). 

[mindfulness]

Best stick to developing fungus and hybrids 

[chilli42]

At least other countries and drug/biotech/universities pretend to be all out on a vaccine for altruistic reasons.  Thailand seems to know no shame when it comes to making money ... a boost to medical tourism ... could only be openly expressed in Thailand

[Max69xl]

15 hours ago, Pib said:

 

There's that "medical hub" dream again.

 

 

On top of that, medical treatment at a private hospital is much more expensive than in any western hospital. What the Thai government forgets, is that vaccinations for different types of flu are free in most western countries, especially during a pandemic. 

[Mark17AA]

There is plenty of medical culture for the tourists to be found in Thailand also, most of it in petri dishes in the STD clinics.

[terminatorchiangmai]

Going to be busy soon.

Thailand already have the cure for cancer , HIV and soon also for Corona if you believe everything they say.

[Alex 012]

Ha ha amazing trusted Thailand 

 

More like

 

Thailand home of Rotten dirty scams 

[kevden]

16 hours ago, YetAnother said:

haha; so the only way you can get into thailand is if you are sick

So not about making merit, just $. 

[Mick501]

China is already doing human trials on their vaccine.  But with China, you never know.  Monkeys don't grow on trees, you know.

[Accidental Tourist]

Do the talking...would be better to have a vaccine first, and than talk...

[bluedoc]

So good to see Anutin talk Bollo^cks again.

[Ranshoko]

16 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

"Bionet-Asia, a local firm working with the government and a top Bangkok university."

 

Yea right, no idea what university they are referring to but the top Thai University in world global rankings comes out at 601 and thats "Mahidol University." 

Dreamland again. Any vaccine is likely to come from the UK, USA, Europe and possibly Japan or Indida. Thailand is noted for plastic surgery. Inflating or jacking up women's chests etc. But for real cutting edge R&D. they are nowhere. 

[digger70]

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand has a good healthcare system, good medical practices. It will garner a lot of interest from tourists and investors and boost us as a medical hub," he said.

 

At what Price ? Make an Affordable Insurance Company In Thailand for Foreign  people & Expats. Before advertising How good the System is.

[Patts]

It's funny they believe they can develop a vaccine when they have had over 4 times the cases of dengue fever in the past 2 months then they have of Covid19 in 5 months but yet they haven't made a vaccine for that.......Wonder why?

[Phil McCaverty]

Just now, Patts said:

It's funny they believe they can develop a vaccine when they have had over 4 times the cases of dengue fever in the past 2 months then they have of Covid19 in 5 months but yet they haven't made a vaccine for that.......Wonder why?

Same reason that the world has never been able to develop a malaria vaccine.

[fruitman]

6 hours ago, dutchweller said:

When we did a renovation and I had all the building designs for the fit out in mm the "cabinetmaker" I use that term loosely could not work out why my bed base was so out of whack..
He did not understand mm measurements at all and assumed all measurements on the plan was cm.. 
They actually built one base and the dimensions were so insane you would wonder why they continued to a finished product without stopping and asking if something was wrong..

His company was let go from the project...

Professionals......

 

 

My cabinet maker for my massive teakwood kitchen had never seen a carpenters square...the drawers didn't fit well because the angles were not in 90 degree's which i showed him with my square...

Thai are insanely unprofessional, you better do it all yourself.

[Patts]

9 minutes ago, fruitman said:

My cabinet maker for my massive teakwood kitchen had never seen a carpenters square...the drawers didn't fit well because the angles were not in 90 degree's which i showed him with my square...

Thai are insanely unprofessional, you better do it all yourself.

Wouldn't be so bad if they were honest about if they can do a job, rather then lying to save "losing face"

[micmichd]

1 hour ago, Patts said:

It's funny they believe they can develop a vaccine when they have had over 4 times the cases of dengue fever in the past 2 months then they have of Covid19 in 5 months but yet they haven't made a vaccine for that.......Wonder why?

 High risk. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dengue_vaccine

[Chongalulu]

8 hours ago, Don Mega said:

Ahh thats what ive been missing, some good old Thai bashing.

 

Thailand like all countries has some smart people and some not so smart people, I work with some extremely talented mechanical engineers (Thai) so one should not tar them all with the stupid brush.

Unfortunately if you look at their world university rankings and ,more tellingly,their position in the PISA educational tables, you’re going to need a very much bigger brush to cover the stupid category.

[Jiggo]

Feel sorry for the monkeys they are using for the tests what a waste, and with a unsuccesfull outcome I would suspect.

[natway09]

Metal workshops work in MM not CM. What are you talking about ?

[spermwhale]

Anyone who thinks Thai researchers can make a vaccine for anything must be smoking crack. 

[Bender Rodriguez]

1 hour ago, Jiggo said:

Feel sorry for the monkeys they are using for the tests what a waste, and with a unsuccesfull outcome I would suspect.

meat on a stick anybody ?

[jmccarty]

I hope they are successful with the vaccine.  The world needs a success story with this!