Were you duped by these fake coronavirus stories on Thai social media?

[webfact]

Were you duped by these fake coronavirus stories on Thai social media?

 

Images are seen on thermographic devices checking the temperatures of arrival passengers at the Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International airport in Thailand, January 29, 2020. Thailand Government House/Handout via REUTERS

 

The new coronavirus that has spread from China to other parts of the world has spawned a life of its own on social media in Thailand.

 

Since authorities in the country stepped up screening and other precautionary measures after confirming cases of coronavirus infections, Thai social media has been flooded with fake news stories and false information.

 

Such is the problem, officials from the Ministry of Public Health, Technology Crime Suppression Division and Thailand’s new Anti-Fake News Center warned on Wednesday that anyone found deliberately spreading fake news about the coronavirus faces severe repercussions.

 

Spreading fake news can hamper the official response to the virus, cause panic among the public and be harmful to the economy, officials said.

 

One of the earliest fake stories regarding coronavirus in Thailand went viral last Sunday. A post on Facebook, now removed, claimed that a group of Chinese tourists had been quarantined while visiting Koh Samet. 

 

The post was shared hundreds of times, forcing local health officials to confirm that while a Chinese tourist reported being ill, they were not infected with coronavirus. 

 

On Monday, Banglamung district chief and Pattaya area health officials reacted swiftly to online rumors about the coronavirus being found in the city. 

 

Officials were forced to act when both locals and tourists were spooked after reports of a Bang Lamung ambulance being sterilized after carrying three people with the virus and also other reports of people with the virus in the Pattaya area. 

 

The rumours originated from a Facebook post which showed a person in a protective hazmat style suit. The post used the hashtag in English #banglamunghospital. But there was no truth to the post whatsoever. 

 

 

On Wednesday, shocking video footage which purported to show a Chinese man falling down at Suvarnabhumi airport due to coronavirus infection was quickly found to be false. 

 

The footage and corresponding Facebook post was even reviewed by Thailand’s Anti Fake News Centre, who discovered the man in clip was actually drunk, and had not been infected with the coronavirus.

 

Also on Wednesday, social media users were sharing posts which claimed to show an infection of the virus in Chiang Mai.

 

However, this too was found to be false.

 

The post in question showed a photograph of medics wearing protective hazmat style suits attending to a Chinese woman who was found dead in Mae Rim. 

 

 

 However, officials confirmed that while the woman had travelled from Guangzhou to Chiang Mai on 28 January, she displayed no abnormal symptoms or fever. She had been drinking heavily the night before she was found, officials said. 

 

The woman’s body has been sent for post mortem to establish an official cause of death.

 

Officials added that medics who attended the scene were wearing protective clothing as a precautionary measure and as per the guidelines issued by the Department of Disease Control.

 

The message to people in Thailand is to remain calm and do not believe rumours or posts they see on social media and instead wait for official updates from the Ministry of Public Health. 

 

People can also contact the Department of Disease Control Hotline on 1422 or visit the website https://ddc.moph.go.th/viralpneumonia/intro.php or Facebook page. 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-01-30

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[canopus1969]

The problem is the locals do not trust what the Government says - also the death toll rises as the virus spreads to every Chinese region

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51305526

[mauGR1]

7 minutes ago, webfact said:

On Wednesday, shocking video footage which purported to show a Chinese man falling down at Suvarnabhumi airport due to coronavirus infection was quickly found to be false. 

 

The footage and corresponding Facebook post was even reviewed by Thailand’s Anti Fake News Centre, who discovered the man in clip was actually drunk, and had not been infected with the coronavirus.

[lujanit]

There are fake stories everywhere on the internet about this subject.  People just chasing likes and retweets.  Sad but true. 

[richard_smith237]

There was a YouTube Video from a Chinese Nurse (in Semi-hazmat) apparently sending her video out from Wuhan - this video was circulated on FaceBook.

 

I believed the video to be genuine, although the Translation from Chinese to English Subtitles is reported to have been highly flawed. 

 

The English Subtitles would have us believe there are 70,000 cases of Coronavirus in Wuhan (as of 3-4 days ago when the video was released). There were a number of comments on the Video commenting on the incorrect translation and that 70,000 people in Wuhan had been tested for the Coranovirus, the actual number of cases was not discussed. 

 

The video was somewhat alarmist, but even if true and there were 70,000 cases of Coronavirus the mortality rate is thus low (with only 135 deaths (world wide) at the time).

 

 

 

 

 

 

[anterian]

You cannot suddenly die from a coronavirus infection, it is a progressive disease. starts like a mild flu then progressively gets worse.

 

[Just Weird]

6 minutes ago, lujanit said:

There are fake stories everywhere on the internet about this subject.  People just chasing likes and retweets.  Sad but true. 

Just the same as posters on some forums!

[RichardColeman]

17 minutes ago, webfact said:

Were you duped by these fake coronavirus stories on Thai social media?

Sort of fake TAT figures ? 

[NCC1701A]

18 minutes ago, webfact said:

Such is the problem, officials from the Ministry of Public Health, Technology Crime Suppression Division and Thailand’s new Anti-Fake News Center warned on Wednesday that anyone found deliberately spreading fake news about the coronavirus faces severe repercussions.

so Thai Visa comments to be shut down?

[NCC1701A]

Proverbs 13:5

"The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves."

[Fred white]

If you don't agree with the pm then it's fake news ????

[Pravda]

39 minutes ago, webfact said:

The footage and corresponding Facebook post was even reviewed by Thailand’s Anti Fake News Centre, who discovered the man in clip was actually drunk, and had not been infected with the coronavirus.

 

Only a few years ago it was common to see a plastered Brit at Swampy. Now, even this sight is being replaced by Chinese. A sad day for Farang in Thailand.

[RotBenz8888]

41 minutes ago, webfact said:

The message to people in Thailand is to remain calm and do not believe rumours or posts they see on social media and instead wait for official updates from the Ministry of Public Health. 

That said, it could be your last day alive, so go out and spend your money.

[evadgib]

I'm currently Sat in the foodhall at my local big c. Of the 100 or so people in my field of view just two (other than staff) are wearing masks, as indeed am I.

As an afterthought the foreign hippy to my right has just sneezed all over me ???? 

[Fred white]

9 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

That said, it could be your last day alive, so go out and spend your money.

Well then I guess I'll take my 800,000 out and head to soi 6 ????

[ThailandRyan]

Reminds me of the Monty Python skit "Bring out your Dead"

[URMySunshine]

Posting at the coal face of TVF gives us all a nose for fake posts and as such we are now mostly immune to them. ????

[yokat]

I told my gf to be wary of what she reads, social media are going strong with conspiracy theories and fake case reports. It's a big opportunity for those people eager to get views and comments. Even those heroes calling for help from Wuhan... filming themselves in their bedroom in front of a webcam. For all I know they could be posting from a mansion in Vancouver.

[tifino]

every individual is old enough to take responsibility for whatever they believe in what they see going down...

 

 

[Beggar]

I never can be duped by anything on Thai social media simply because I don't understand Thai and in addition avoid the typical social media channels completely. 

[klauskunkel]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Were you duped by these fake coronavirus stories on Thai social media?

"Darling, our buffalo has a Corona Virus, please send money for face masks."

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

41 minutes ago, Beggar said:

I never can be duped by anything on Thai social media simply because I don't understand Thai and in addition avoid the typical social media channels completely. 

 

I tend to avoid Thai social media, especially Facebook, like the plague!  (oopps!)

 

Especially for anything science or medical related, where the level of literacy here seems dire at best.

 

[orang37]

45 minutes ago, Beggar said:

I never can be duped by anything on Thai social media simply because I don't understand Thai and in addition avoid the typical social media channels completely. 

 

With those skills you should get a job with TAT !

 

~o:37;

[Artisi]

1 hour ago, NCC1701A said:

so Thai Visa comments to be shut down?

Wouldn't be any loss to the ongoing problem, might even be a bonus. 

[rkidlad]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Were you duped by these fake coronavirus stories on Thai social media?

No, not me. I saw the Thai PM say it's 100% under control, and the Thai foreign minister say we should trust the Chinese authorities, but I didn't believe that for a second. 

 

 

[justin case]

and is it allowed to question the validity of this on a forum ?

[tifino]

4 minutes ago, justin case said:

and is it allowed to question the validity of this on a forum ?

... ummm the questioning as to whether content put up on Thai Social Media is hearsay or not?

[DepDavid]

And how do we know that this story is/is not the fake news?

[Con Peoples Fund]

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

so Thai Visa comments to be shut down?

They would have if they coulf i guess

[Ireland32]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Sort of fake TAT figures ? 

And now not updating numbers , Clueless Govt