Thai hospital tycoon who promised Pfizer vaccine says deal now unlikely

BANGKOK (Reuters) – The chair of Thailand’s Thonburi Healthcare Group (THG) 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,…