Thai startups join fight to stop the spread of coronavirus

Startups in Thailand have joined the fight against COVID-19 by offering their digital technology and skills to help streamline work at field hospitals and support a vaccine management system. The commitment by startups complements a similar effort by local big businesses.

“Local tech startups can play a role in overcoming this health crisis if they are granted the opportunity to test systems,” Rungsun Promprasith, Chief Executive of QueQ, a queue management mobile application, told the Bangkok Post.

Many are already employing their capabilities, including QueQ and at least three other startups that are working with a field hospital set up by Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, home to one of the Kingdom’s top medical schools and hospitals.

“We have combined the strength of each startup and spent two weeks deploying technology at Chula Field Hospital,” said Rungsun. “We plan to roll it out at Banglamung Hospital and Thammasat Field Hospital.”

Other startups are working with the Digital Council of Thailand (DCT) to support additional field hospitals providing care to COVID-19 patients. These young firms are part of a community called “Ped Thai Su Pai” (Thai ducks fight danger), which has been providing support in efforts to address the coronavirus since last year.

Thailand has a small startup scene, but it is vibrant and growing. The Kingdom has yet to produce a unicorn – a startup that has reached a valuation of $1 billion – but many analysts believe it is just a matter of time before one emerges.

The startups lending a helping hand in the pandemic fight could also benefit businesswise from their participation, although they stress that that is not their primary motivation.

Rungsun said that if his company’s queue management system performs well in this endeavor, then it could be a selling point for use in other countries.

Photo Courtesy of https://www.queq.me/