The week that was in Thailand news: Hysteria finds its natural home on social media and online news

[rooster59]

The week that was in Thailand news: Hysteria finds its natural home on social media and online news

 

 

It was a week in which this columnist was repeatedly shaking his weary head wondering about the collective sanity of the world. Especially the world that seems to dwell online.

 

I don't mean to completely downplay the seriousness of the coronavirus outbreak but for me it all looked like a massive overreaction. Everywhere you looked online there was one kind of nonsensical hysteria or another. So called Fake News and fake opinion was having a field day.

 

Despite a minimal death toll, all flights of some China bound airlines were cancelled, health authorities ran around like headless chickens and here in Thailand countless curmudgeons bashed the Thais. One story even suggested staying away from Thailand.....Rooster could barely muster a flicker of interest in the face of such patent nonsense.

 

Admittedly, I don't need to go out. My kids go to the school over the road. All I need to do is take off the masks they have been given and throw them in a bin (Though I changed this behavior after I saw the resale potential following a shortage...). Yes, "I'm Alright Jack" as one of my favorite movies proclaims.

 

Before the days of the internet and social media such a situation would have been impossible. Before we were pounded with so much erroneous information to sift through to get to the reality. These days it quickly gets out of hand - not the crisis itself but the absurd reaction to it. Everybody thinks they have to do something. Panic sets in for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

 

Take a step back. Common flu causes around 5 million severe cases each year worldwide. There were about 15 million cases of flu in the US alone in the most recent "season". Up to 650,000 die annually worldwide. The young and the elderly are at risk. Millions die from measles and mosquitoes.

 

But do common flu or malaria make headlines. No they don't. In today's jittery world all slapdash journalists need to do is attach a label like "Ebola" or "Wuhan", "Novel" or "China". Throw in quarantine, cities closed down, tourism decimated, widespread fear, masks running out, mass screening.....you name it and the panic and clicks are guaranteed. It spreads from the public back to the authorities who feel they need to react to avoid censure. It feeds off itself. Utterly pathetic.

 

I don't believe the world is in the grip of a health crisis. The only crisis is in the mind. The internet has damaged people's health and caused a breakdown in reasoned thought. Daily, we witness the actions of an idiotic online public who spread utter nonsense far more damaging than a virus could ever muster.

 

Thaivisa did its best to quell the panic with what I thought was an excellent story that put the matter straight midweek. There was even one asking what fake virus news the reader had succumbed to this week!

 

The Chinese were slammed for being secretive and totalitarian when the opposite was true. Prayut was attacked for saying things were under control. I think he was right, they are. The Thai response was attacked but the reality, again, was that in a country where there is the potential for the spread of such disease, the reaction was professional, swift and appropriate.

 

You can't blame the authorities in any country for the idiocy of the public they serve, no matter what country it is.

 

These views will doubtless be slammed by many, especially the online worry buckets who spread doom and gloom. They are either trolls or truly misguided. Sorry, but I'll react with a bit of interest when I see something in Thailand that is worth getting into a lather over....like the road accident stats or soi dogs attacking children.

 

Which is why the story about the Pit Bull attacking a mother and her toddler concerns me. For a start this breed - and many others - needs to be outlawed. The law in this kingdom needs to be changed to protect people more than dogs. All soi dogs without owners need to be cleared up and thrown in a pit somewhere in Nakhon Nowhere. All owners of dogs need to be vetted and licensed and any pets need to be either kept inside or on leads. Violators need to be jailed and their pets put down.

 

Dog ownership should be a privilege and not a right.

 

Soi dog foundations and other do-gooders need to be disbanded, possibly forced to undergo a period of reeducation. Disgraceful "sanctuaries" preying on the handouts of the doggy loving public need to be shut down and their owners jailed and/or deported. (I have been investigating one where allegedly millions is being creamed off because the owner is buying up animals in Cambodia to garner more donations. Then the dogs are allegedly dumped in the Khmer countryside when people have been shocked into paying for their non-existent upkeep).

 

To me when decent ordinary people and their families can't go out for a pleasant Sunday afternoon walk, jog or bicycle because of fear from attack by potentially rabid strays, that is a problem. Not some virus less serious than others that have been around for millennia.

 

Rightly ridiculed this week was Thai immigration and their absurdly expensive "Smart Car" BMW's (Rooster's "state of the art wizardry" line referring to a laptop and internet connection was not missed by the observant). The IB were out in force nationwide failing to do any good whatsoever just fining a handful of Thai house owners who hadn't reported migrants at their addresses within 24 hours. Pointless.

 

News media Naew Na are now nothing more than an online joke. They are in the pockets of immigration who have clearly promised them some of their tastiest morsels if they perpetually spout the PR party line about 'biometrics' and the usefulness of the swanky German cars.

 

Former chief of the IB Big Joke knows all about the shenanigans in these big expenditures though some netizens still fail to see past the public persona. They hate any attempt at attention seeking which clouds their view. So they can't appreciate that here was an honest cop who would have made a difference to Thailand. An honest cop who has been hounded out from on high.

 

This week BJ resigned from the PM's office after Uncle Too castigated him over his reaction to being shot at in Surawong earlier in January. Other bigwig heads have rolled or been transferred which amounts to the same thing. It is all one huge case of smoke and mirrors to shield the high-ups from the appalling corruption that continues to bedevil Thailand.

 

Shooting Big Joke is both figuratively and literally like shooting the messenger.

 

Surachate went to ordain in India this week. Good luck to him and I hope he finds some peace there, bides his time and returns to Thailand when the time is ripe. Even if, as history has repeatedly shown, that time never seems to adequately ripen.

 

Last weekend's murder of a neighbor by a motorcycle taxi rider driving another neighbor's car was horrific in the extreme. Seeing the footage for the first time I was reminded of a story I had seen on the BBC about online moderators on YouTube and Facebook who are obliged to sign Post Traumatic Stress Disorder disclosures to get jobs.

 

I contacted my editor to ask the boss if I could have three weeks off on paid leave after seeing the footage of Phaiboon drive into his neighbor. I was joking....I think. But we do see a lot of mayhem online these days that can leave us scarred albeit temporarily. Though you won't find this columnist giving into the view that the world is now a more dangerous place; I'm convinced it is much safer.

 

In Phaiboon's car were two boys he was taking to football practice. The civil engineer he murdered - plainly deliberately - was tending potted plants with his back turned. He will never know what hit him. Phaiboon soon gave up and after a half-hearted attempt by his relatives was refused bail and jailed in Ayuthaya. Please keep him there until he rots.

 

One of the most telling lines from the stories about this incident was that the pair were on the housing committee and had a long running feud. It wasn't just about a washing line as the press conveniently said to get more clicks. The power hungry people that these committees attract - whether in housing estates or condos - make for bitter struggles. They don't normally end in murder but they often cause immeasurable strife to residents. I speak from experience as one such power struggle is being played out in my building.

 

Many stories this week featured a huge swathe of doom and gloom regarding tourism in Thailand. From Pattaya to the north, Bangkok to the south the figures could not be hidden. Down 70%! Plummeted 60%! Chinese staying home. Big spending Indians please come and hold your elaborate weddings. Europeans, please, pretty please come back - most, if not all - is forgiven!

 

What with the virus hysteria fueling the exodus and lack of arrivals one had to feel sorry for Thailand. Though critics who blame the country for putting all their Chinese eggs in one basket might have a point. A lack of diversification often, if I may continue the analogy, comes home to roost.

 

In international news this week NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and one of his daughters was killed in a helicopter accident in California, a tragedy that was felt worldwide but especially in the basketball mad Philippines. I prefer sports where it is harder to score but I recognize a veritable icon when I see one.

 

Commemorations were held in Poland to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. I was delighted to see a weekly program aimed at children on Sky News feature the holocaust. Such attempts to reach a new generation and inform them of the horror of the death camps are to be lauded.

 

President Trump's impeachment trial continued. He is as guilty as the day is long but it will make no difference. He will be acquitted and it will all play perfectly into his hands with another four years come the autumn. In this case the huge amount of online criticism of the POTUS merely serves to entrench his ill-gotten status among the fools who believe his palpable lies and childlike rhetoric. He bangs on about his achievements. There are none, even his wall in Mexico was filmed falling over!

 

In England Brexiteers were eating British made pork pies and sausages washed down with warm beer and slapping themselves on the back with Union Jacks for "regaining independence". How sad that the veterans of World War II who fought so valiantly for our freedoms and the liberation of Europe should be so let down by the wasted votes of their misguided descendants. At least the pound became all but worthless, benefiting those of us with Thai baht who value international cooperation rather than isolationism.

 

Now that I have annoyed and outraged 90% of the online community here are a few Rooster awards.

 

The "Excellence Award in the Face of Public Panic" prize I give to Thai tourism minister Pipat for telling the public to get out to the department stores and keep spending. Three cheers for you in bucking the trend. Poor Pipat was compared to Kobkarn "Durian Kit-Kat" Wattanavrankul in a subsequent story about the faux pas of successive tourism ministers.

 

Her crown as the Queen of Calamity will never wane, however, especially after she suggested in 2016 that Thailand should wipe out the sex industry. If you see her she is picking pie out of the sky somewhere.

 

Finally, the "Public Hygiene" award I give to the owner of a meat processing factory in the north east who said it was five times more efficient (and cheaper) to let the workers use their teeth to extract bones from chicken feet than use pliers.

 

Rather them than me.

 

Rooster
 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-02-01

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[canuckamuck]

You're a great guy Rooster, but the opinions are starting to overshadow the stories.

[bkk6060]

Yes.  Just asking is this news or an editorial?

Also, when WHO announces a world wide emergency regarding the virus, I believe they know more then any of us..

Stay well everyone.

[Samui Bodoh]

"...It was a week in which this columnist was repeatedly shaking his weary head wondering about the collective sanity of the world. Especially the world that seems to dwell online..."

 

"...Everywhere you looked online there was one kind of nonsensical hysteria or another..."

 

"...health authorities ran around like headless chickens and here in Thailand countless curmudgeons bashed the Thais..."

 

"...Before we were pounded with so much erroneous information to sift through to get to the reality..."

 

"...In today's jittery world all slapdash journalists need to do is attach a label like "Ebola" or "Wuhan", "Novel" or "China"..."

 

"...you name it and the panic and clicks are guaranteed..."

 

"...It feeds off itself. Utterly pathetic..."

 

"...Daily, we witness the actions of an idiotic online public who spread utter nonsense far more damaging than a virus could ever muster..."

 

"...These views will doubtless be slammed by many, especially the online worry buckets who spread doom and gloom..."

 

"...These views will doubtless be slammed by many, especially the online worry buckets who spread doom and gloom..."

 

While I do think that the on-line communication of our modern age does amplify somethings out of proportion, I think that you have gone over the top, mate.

 

And, respectfully, the comments that you so despise stem from the stories that TVF prints. "People in glass houses..."

 

Forgive me, but I think the shadow you hate is the one you cast. 

 

[FarFlungFalang]

Hey Rooster the end is nigh your supposed live infected with panic riddled mortal fear of what might not happen and not belittle us click addicted obscurantists. 

[Beggar]

In respect of the virus. Thailand has a lot of capacity to handle millions of tourists with their tourist industry. But it has very limited capacities to tackle a health crisis for locals and such huge amounts of tourists. It could end in a desaster if the virus is not kept at bay. 

[bluesofa]

7 hours ago, Beggar said:

In respect of the virus. Thailand has a lot of capacity to handle millions of tourists with their tourist industry. But it has very limited capacities to tackle a health crisis for locals and such huge amounts of tourists. It could end in a desaster if the virus is not kept at bay. 

I think it would be more appropriate saying 'it could spell desaster'.

[FarFlungFalang]

9 hours ago, Beggar said:

In respect of the virus. Thailand has a lot of capacity to handle millions of tourists with their tourist industry. But it has very limited capacities to tackle a health crisis for locals and such huge amounts of tourists. It could end in a desaster if the virus is not kept at bay. 

I saw a recent list of the countries best prepared to deal with this and surprisingly Thailand ranked fifth in the world and first of the asian countries. 

[Tayaout]

5 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I saw a recent list of the countries best prepared to deal with this and surprisingly Thailand ranked fifth in the world and first of the asian countries. 

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/spore-could-prepare-better-for-outbreaks-of-disease-index

[canuckamuck]

 I am having a lot of trouble suspending my disbelief over that result.

[Beggar]

8 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

 I am having a lot of trouble suspending my disbelief over that result.

Me too. In the meantime it is easier to find a lottery ticket vendor that sells the ticket for 80 Baht than a shop that sells masks - at least here in Pattaya. 

[sturdyd]

Totally agree on the Wuhan Virus. I must be missing something, because all the data I see hardly warrants all the hand wringing. And, look, if I'm missing something, please educate me. Of course it's terrible when people die, but, like Rooster, I think the reaction is just way over the top.

[sammieuk1]

On the bright side if there is one Mr Kim has been very quiet this week has he got the flu? ????

[xtof2]

2 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I saw a recent list of the countries best prepared to deal with this and surprisingly Thailand ranked fifth in the world and first of the asian countries. 

Ranked 5th... based on the General claims that “it’s 100% under control “ !

[GeorgeCross]

not particularly worried by the virus, that seems treatable in all but those with depleted immune systems.

 

am VERY worried by outbreaks, thats when the hospitals get overrun, medicines run out and everyone is just left to die if they can even get a bed.

 

as one guy said in Beijing yesterday "the private clinics (where expats go) are turning away anyone with a fever. we're being sent to the fever clinics at the government hospitals"

 

- - you know the one's in the videos where you have to step over the dead to get to the doctor after your 6 hour queue.

 

 

[GeorgeCross]

2 hours ago, sturdyd said:

Totally agree on the Wuhan Virus. I must be missing something, because all the data I see hardly warrants all the hand wringing. And, look, if I'm missing something, please educate me. Of course it's terrible when people die, but, like Rooster, I think the reaction is just way over the top.

ground level videos, whats getting through the firewall anyway:

 

caveat: have to filter through the obvious BS but even an idiot can work out what we are being told and what we can see here are different things.

[Bundooman]

I'm sorry, but this weekly self-puffing, self-important - holier than thou, diatribe is way past its sell-by date.

just a cursory skip through was enough for me - again!

Just give it a rest, eh?

There's a good chap.

[Cabradelmar]

Thanks for your medical opinion ???????????? doctor... I'll defer to the WHO for fact based determination of crisis or not...

[POMRAKSIAM]

Great article ..spot on!! All the hysteria over this virus is rubbish and that combined with people that actually like and believe Trump lends me to believe a portion of society is infact insane.

[lensta]

20 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Yes.  Just asking is this news or an editorial?

Also, when WHO announces a world wide emergency regarding the virus, I believe they know more then any of us..

Stay well everyone.

Except rooster obviously. I usually enjoy reading your Sunday column, but this weeks effort was just opinionated <deleted.>

[thesetat2013]

Seriously though. Since you are not in the medical field and are of course, only following what is coming out of other news. You have absolutely no idea why everyone is worried this virus will get out of hand. Perhaps the fact that this virus mutated to infect people. Maybe it's because of other similar viruses in the past that killed 100s of thousands of people and the chance this one will mutate again and do the same. I find it difficult to believe it's not something serious when you see photos of the Chinese wearing biological suits and pulling dead people off the streets. Or perhaps the fact that the CDC and WHO are also afraid. 

You're an idiot to think this is nothing to worry about especially knowing that thousands left wuhan and came to Thailand carrying this virus. You are safe in your cubicle world passing judgment on the people in the center of this epidemic. I'd like to see you jump on plane to wuhan and walk around without a mask on. 

[herwin1234]

what an excellent post! A lot of hysteria mostly based on the fact that it comes from "China" that alone sends shivers down our spine. And "of course" as usual the Thai authorities are incompetent fools and idiots.  No. In perspective, this virus outbreak should be treatedserious, but worldwide there are more devastating and deadly viruses including the yearly influenza virus.

Thai authorities are doing an EXCELLENT  job in this dificult situation.

Lets ditch the hysteria and let authorities deal with it, together with medical profesionals. 

[Prairieboy]

19 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Violators need to be jailed and their pets put down.

This statement could be reversed as well - jail the pets and put the owners down!

[Tchooptip]

So all the doctors in the world are crazy, why are the caregivers in total protective suits with glasses and gloves, but nothing like that for the winter flu that you compare? Question to Rooster, because this in particular has nothing to do with the "hysterical madness of social media" which seems to obsess you. In fact you know more about the subject of coronavirus than the World Health Organization, I take my hat off to you!

[Prairieboy]

44 minutes ago, xtof2 said:

Ranked 5th... based on the General claims that “it’s 100% under control “ !

Sorry but Canada is ranked 5th - Thailand is 6th!

[zydeco]

31 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

Disturbing especially was the video of the body bags where they saw movement still occurring. 

[Guest]

At last some sanity in the posting of the stories that have made headlines lately and i must say i agree with almost all of what the reporter posted but particularly about Coronavirus, Big Joke and the one we should all try to keep in the spotlight about dogs. it is a sad thing that to go for a walk in the village is often a dangerous outing, it is just common sense that dog owners should be registered and the dogs kept inside the boundary of the property where they live and that the owners are responsible for any misdoings and nuisance by the animals.

[PaDavid]

I love the rhetoric; far better than the actual news. And I agree totally with the concept that online panic creates more problems than the actual cause. 

On the subject of the holocaust, I watched a brilliant film on BBC iPlayer entitled the Windermere Children. About a bunch of children who survived the death camps and were sent to a rehabilitation centre in, yes, Windermere - which is a village in the English Lake District.

Re soi dogs. I’ve posted before here of the problems faced by bicyclists. The ankles and calves or particularly vulnerable to a nip, especially on the pedals’ nadir. I am a regular visitor to Turkey which had a similar problem with dogs (and cats). After a clampdown by the authorities which required many of the restrictive practices subscribed by Rooster, it became much rarer to see strays on the street. However, on recent visits I’ve noticed a gradual increase again. It must be a culture thing. I really don’t understand why anyone would want a dog unless as a pet or to protect property. The concept of taking one in only to let it roam free is alien to me. But, there again, I am British and we’re renowned for spoiling our animals. 
 

Keep giving us your views, Rooster. Far more informative than the official version. 

[HappyinNE]

 

Dog ownership should be a privilege and not a right.  There is a bit of a disagreement here.  I happen to be sheltering five dogs that were previously living on the streets but the statement about rights and privilege is a call for more government.  We already have too much government all over the world.

[Stargeezr]

Thanks for weekly update,  much appreciated.  I will wait 10 more days and see,

how many deaths are admitted by all the countries.  Koodoos to the Philippines for

being honest.  If the numbers jump, I will be more worried. So far I am avoiding airports and

lots of malls.

Geezer