A Thai woman living in France has donated 20 million baht to buy Sinopharm and mRNA vaccines for people in her hometown of Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima province.
Kiatniyom Kwanjaibuddhisa, president of the Khanong Phra Tambon Administration, told Thai media the good news on Sunday.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, was a native of the tambon. She moved to France after getting married to a French businessman but her brother and relatives still live there, according to Mr Kiatniyom.
The money will go to Pakchongnana Hospital to procure the vaccines to be administered to people free of charge.
The donation is for 10,000 doses of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine (8 million baht) and 4,000 doses of an mRNA vaccine (6.8 million baht), totalling 14.8 million baht.
The remaining 5.2 million baht is set aside for more of the mRNA vaccine as a booster shot over the next 3-6 months, he said.
The priority will be people in Khanong Phra subdistrict, especially monks, vulnerable groups and bed-ridden people.
“The donor is worried about the news that many people in Khanong Phra have been infected,” said Mr Kiatniyom.
In addition to the donated vaccines, the tambon organisation set aside 15 million baht of its budget to buy more shots for its residents, as well as migrants and business operators there.
Registration has been opened for the vaccination through the organisation. The policy is to ensure everyone in the tambon gets at least the first shot. The vaccine will then be sent to adjacent tambons.
According to National Statistical Office data in 2020, Khanong Phra had a population of 11,922.
On Monday, Khanong Phra logged four new Covid-19 infections, bringing the tambon’s total to 188 since the beginning of the second wave in April, according to the Pak Chong Municipality public relations office.