Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has thanked the Thai people for their collective efforts in making it possible for Thailand to achieve no new COVID-19 infections today.
In the meantime, he urged everyone to continue to be disciplined and to adhere strictly to all the measures imposed to prevent the spread of the disease.
He said that he is concerned about the safety of everyone and asked them not to lower their guard and continue to wear face masks outdoors, observe social distancing and regularly wash their hands with soap or sanitizer.
The Prime Minister visited Rakangkositaram Temple today, to pay respects to the abbot and to statues of late revered monks, and to visit a kitchen in the temple.
The Prime Minister also said that he is proud that several people have come forward to help their fellow countrymen, suffering from economic hardships, by donating to food banks, which are sprouting up in many provinces.
He, however, criticized those seen scrambling for food at several such places, without sharing with other needy people.
Meanwhile, Mr. Narong Song-arom, director of the National Office of Buddhism, said today that the Supreme Patriarch has ordered his office and temples, which are financially stable, to set up kitchens to offer cooked food to the needy.
Currently, 914 kitchens have been set up in temples and they have been able to feed about 274,000 people a day, said Mr. Narong, adding that similar kitchens have been set up at Thai temples abroad.
It is reported that some temples are considering opening drive-through kitchens or mobile kitchens in poor communities.
