Thai Protesters Adopt Vaccine Demand in Push to Widen Support
- Activists call for switch from Chinese vaccines to mRNA shots
- Gathering on July 18 will mark movement’s one-year anniversary
Photographer: Sakchai Lalit/AP Photo
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Thailand’s protesters are intensifying their pressure on the government to expand its much-criticized vaccine program in the latest push to widen their support base amid a surging Covid-19 outbreak driven by the delta variant.
The pro-democracy movement has returned to the streets in the Thai capital after a six-month lull, with near-daily gatherings organized by different groups since June 24. But with a worsening outbreak situation that has put a strain on the public health system and sent deaths to record highs, the turnout was low compared to last year’s demonstrations, which had hundreds of thousands of people joining at their peak.