Thailand Virus Infections Hit Record as Vaccine Rollout Stutters

BANGKOK - Thailand recorded its highest number of coronavirus infections Thursday since the pandemic began after Bangkok prisons were found riddled with COVID-19, threatening an extension of a partial lockdown of the country that is hammering the economy.

The latest wave of the virus emerged in April, dynamized by clusters at nightspots popular with Bangkok's rich. It has forced the government of Prayuth Chan-ocha to order restaurants and bars to close and urge people to stay at home, leaving Thailand's tourist and services economy on the brink.  The country reported 4,887 infections Thursday, a record daily high after 2,835 prisoners tested positive at two jails in Bangkok.