Thai leader asks billionaires for help solving virus crisis

Thailand's leader says he will appeal directly to the country's 20 wealthiest people for assistance in overcoming the coronavirus crisis.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said in a televised address Friday that the government alone cannot solve the health and economic challenges posed by the pandemic, so other sectors should join what he called Team Thailand. A business council advising his government warned this week that as many as 10 million Thais could lose their jobs in the next few months if the crisis doesn't ease.

The first thing I will do next week is to send an open letter to the 20 richest people in Thailand to ask them to tell me, as they are respected elders of our society, how they will help us and how they will help Thailand more, Prayuth said.

He said the country's billionaires have a tremendous influence on its economy and are wealthy even by international standards, so they could play important roles in Team Thailand.

The list of Thailand's 50 richest individuals and families compiled by Forbes magazine puts 27 in the billion dollar bracket. Topping the list is the Chearavanont family, which owns the CP Group, one of the world's biggest conglomerates.

Thailand's royal family controls the country's biggest fortune, but Prayuth was clearly calling on the business community. He also said he will reach out to small and medium-size enterprises to get a better picture of their situation than by having information filtered through various agencies.

Thai health authorities on Friday announced 28 new confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 2,700 including 47 deaths. They said 1,689 patients have been discharged.