Feb 24, 2021
The vaccine for Covid 19 from China arrives today in Thailand. What is its significance? Prof. Dr.
Tang Zhimin, Director of CASPIM made the following comments in an interview for China Daily.
The first shipment of 200,000 Sinovac doses will arrive in Bangkok on Feb 24th. Another
800,000 doses will arrive in March and 1 million more in April. The total of 2 million doses
will provide protection to 1 million in the country with nearly 70 million population. But it is
a great move to jumpstart the vaccination process for Thailand to catch up with its
ASEAN neighbors.
With Sinovac in its list of suppliers, Thailand is in a better bargaining position in the global
scramble for the vaccine in short supply. If the Sinovac doses work well in terms of safety
and protection efficacy, they will help to establish the confidence in pandemic control and
economic recovery. When the domestic Covid 19 situation is under control, foreign
tourists may be more enthusiastic to return when Thai government is willing to relax its
quarantine requirement for them. When markets return to their normal operating hours,
the government discount packages to stimulate consumption will have a bigger multiplier
effect which may in term boost business optimism and hopefully attract a new round of
investment.