Covid-19: Two major figures in Thai aviation resign - govt response and "bungling" of virus crisis blamed

[webfact]

Covid-19: Two major figures in Thai aviation resign - govt response and "bungling" of virus crisis blamed

 

FILE PHOTO: Thai Airways aircraft are parked on the tarmac at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport March 27, 2015. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

Thailand is today reeling from the resignation of two of its leading figures in the aviation industry.

 

Director of Thai Airways Sumeth Damrongchaitham has resigned after being in post at the failing airline for less than two years. 

 

Sutheerawat Suwannawat the director of Suvarnabhumi airport has also tendered his resignation. 

 

Sources in the Thai media are all claiming that the high profile resignations are directly related to government bungling of the coronavirus outbreak.

 

Reuters reported that Sumeth resigned after the airline accrued losses of more than 23 billion baht over the last two years. Lack of support from the Ministry of Transport in fighting the virus was mentioned in Thai media sources as the reason that finally caused the resignation. 

 

Picture: Sanook

 

Meanwhile Airports of Thailand (AOT) chief Nitinai Sirismatthakorn said he had received notice of the resignation of airport director Sutheerawat.

 

He has cited frustrations over lack of help from the government in coordinating the fight against coronavirus. 

 

Lack of equipment, including face masks, at the airport was cited as one reason by Sanook who indicated that the resignation went much further than that.

 

Sutheerawat was under pressure after 80 workers returning from South Korea went missing when they should have been quarantined but the media indicated that this was just one factor in growing frustrations that the Thai government was bungling the crisis. 

 

His resignation will not be legally binding until mid April, said the legal affairs department of the AOT. 

 

AOT chief Nitinai said there was no truth to rumors that he himself had quit. 

 

 

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[Canuck1966]

pìssups and breweries spring to mind

[zhounan]

Almost certainly these two people are serious and didn't want to bow to the shameful choices imposed from above. 
You have to admire these people who don't meddle in these shady affairs and prefer to get out of the way. 

[seajae]

no surprise at all, the tourism ministry was pushing for more toursits when they should have been stopping them, money was more important than lives and they had the govt backing them.  Really shows just how bad the govt and their departments are, they are willing to risk the thai peoples lives in their rush to get more  money and look good for their chinese mates. 

Edited March 13, 2020 by seajae

[Thailand]

I guess when the true figures of the virus infections eventually get released by some whistleblowers the government will resign on mass- not!

[LomSak27]

Just now, webfact said:

He has cited frustrations over lack of help from the government in coordinating the fight against coronavirus. 

 

Lack of equipment, including face masks, at the airport was cited as one reason by Sanook who indicated that the resignation went much further than that.

 

There is so much water under the bridge here who knows. Did the Government NOT support them in coordinating their Virus response?! Who would doubt that?! Today no one.

That said it is likely a very very good time to get out from being at the helm of a sinking ship. Have someone else in charge, as it picks up ice, like the Titanic.

[Bkk Brian]

"Supplies of masks were often taken away and distributed to other agencies without the airport’s knowledge"

 

"refusal from other agencies – from the military and immigration to Ministry of Health, to cooperate with the airport in screening passengers for the virus.

“There was no coordination as agreed in meetings,”

 

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2020/03/12/suvarnabhumi-thai-airways-chiefs-quit-over-coronavirus/

 

They are leaving the sinking ship and who can blame them!

[PatOngo]

15 minutes ago, seajae said:

  they are willing to risk the thai peoples lives in their rush to get more  money and look good for their chinese mates. 

Seems to be a long term cultural thing! Has anything changed?

[JimmyTheMook]

17 minutes ago, Thailand said:

I guess when the true figures of the virus infections eventually get released by some whistleblowers the government will resign on mass- not!

 

Nail /Head

 

[DLock]

It's a Thai trait - run away from the bus you just crashed, blame it on improper maintenance from management.

 

It's genetic.

[leeneeds]

47 minutes ago, webfact said:

Lack of equipment, including face masks, at the airport was cited as one reason

please view the Joe rogan experience on you tube number 1439 talking to professor Michael Osterholm  you will have a better understanding of the virus.

[NCC1701A]

37 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

"Supplies of masks were often taken away and distributed to other agencies without the airport’s knowledge"

 

"refusal from other agencies – from the military and immigration to Ministry of Health, to cooperate with the airport in screening passengers for the virus.

“There was no coordination as agreed in meetings,”

 

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2020/03/12/suvarnabhumi-thai-airways-chiefs-quit-over-coronavirus/

 

They are leaving the sinking ship and who can blame them!

yes but where are all the sick Thais? no overwhelmed hospitals here at all. no reports of lines of people at hospitals. nothing at all on facebook.

ask your Thai partner where are the sick people. "No have. Thai people strong." 

 

[robblok]

2 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

yes but where are all the sick Thais? no overwhelmed hospitals here at all. no reports of lines of people at hospitals. nothing at all on facebook.

ask your Thai partner where are the sick people. "No have. Thai people strong." 

 

That is a good point that there are no overwhelmed hospitals in Thailand as of yet. So some part of it is true. The number of cases might be higher but its not super bad otherwise we would have seen it at the hospitals. Great observation.

[anchadian]

 

 

 

Jonathan Head

 

@pakhead

·

3h

 

No words. This guy just can’t keep his mouth shut.

Quote Tweet

 

Pichayada P.

 

@PichayadaCNA

· 8h

“We should monitor westerners more than we monitor Asians” Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says no westerners in northern Chiang Mai province wear a face mask amid #COVID19 outbreak and claims “this is why their countries have many infections”

[Thian]

And in the mean time another Thai person went to the police because his 1 million baht worth mouthmasks for china were rotting....????

[Thian]

4 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

yes but where are all the sick Thais? no overwhelmed hospitals here at all. no reports of lines of people at hospitals. nothing at all on facebook.

ask your Thai partner where are the sick people. "No have. Thai people strong." 

 

To get tested costs around 10.000 baht...and if tested positive they'll be sent home for 14 days....so better sit at home anyway if you feel sick...and if it gets really bad one can always go to the hospital.

[Cake Monster]

59 minutes ago, zhounan said:

Almost certainly these two people are serious and didn't want to bow to the shameful choices imposed from above. 
You have to admire these people who don't meddle in these shady affairs and prefer to get out of the way. 

These two guys are trying to disassociate themselves from the S^^^ storm that is coming.

[PatOngo]

Finally, an easy out for the loser Sumeth. He can deflect from his own incompetence of the past 2 years and blame other factors!

[NCC1701A]

2 minutes ago, Thian said:

To get tested costs around 10.000 baht...and if tested positive they'll be sent home for 14 days....so better sit at home anyway if you feel sick...and if it gets really bad one can always go to the hospital.

forget about testing. there are no reports at all. nothing. no one at home saying i feel really bad. i cant breathe. my mother is dying. my father is dying. this would be all over facebook.  

[robblok]

5 minutes ago, Thian said:

To get tested costs around 10.000 baht...and if tested positive they'll be sent home for 14 days....so better sit at home anyway if you feel sick...and if it gets really bad one can always go to the hospital.

Still does not explain it.. in Italy hospitals are overwelmed and they have to turn down people. So if its really bad it wills how. It has not. So cases might be higher as reported but not super high otherwise we would have hospitals that are filled to the brim.

[GalaxyMan]

This is just the latest in a long list of things that this government has bungled. Come to think of it, they bungle everything that they go near. ????

[PatOngo]

2 minutes ago, GalaxyMan said:

This is just the latest in a long list of things that this government has bungled. Come to think of it, they bungle everything that they go near. ????

…..and get rich doing it!

[Salerno]

@NCC1701A

 

????   ????  ????  ????   ???? just noticed

 

[Phuketshrew]

13 minutes ago, robblok said:

Still does not explain it.. in Italy hospitals are overwelmed and they have to turn down people. So if its really bad it wills how. It has not. So cases might be higher as reported but not super high otherwise we would have hospitals that are filled to the brim.

Yes, I agree. I am currently in Yangon and at present there are no official cases here. In conversation with our resident Farang medical practitioner, who also experienced the SARS epidemic, he explained that the COVID-19 virus does not survive in the heat. This may go some way to explaining why the pandemic seems more virulent in cooler countries (China, South Korea and now Europe and the US). However, no need for complacency as I believe it's still prudent to santise regularly, avoid crowded areas and just be generally vigilant. If it does not survive hotter climates then I am hopeful that we will get through relatively unscathed as it's gradually getting hotter here until the rains break in May/June. As the summer months approach in Europe and the US it may also help in stalling the virus. Hoping to get back to Thailand for a couple of weeks at Songkran but not looking forward to flying or transiting through the airports.

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

Thais and even farangs who live in Chiang Mai are a tough breed.

Our lungs unlikely be effected as we used of breathing the worst air in the world.

No virus my area anyone comes here with the virus be dead within the hour.

Chiang Mai number 1 worlds worst pollution. Number one strongest  lungs.

????????????????❤????????

 

 

[NanLaew]

53 minutes ago, leeneeds said:

please view the Joe rogan experience on you tube number 1439 talking to professor Michael Osterholm  you will have a better understanding of the virus.

A mutually concerned friend shared it with me earlier. Can anyone with a Twitter account pass this on the DJT?

 

 

 

Edited March 13, 2020 by NanLaew

[UbonThani]

Experts are on bar stools or in coffee shops. They never make mistakes.

 

[Chazar]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

directly related to government bungling of the coronavirus outbreak.

so  not  years and years of other cprap then?

[moe666]

55 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

yes but where are all the sick Thais? no overwhelmed hospitals here at all. no reports of lines of people at hospitals. nothing at all on facebook.

ask your Thai partner where are the sick people. "No have. Thai people strong." 

 

I move around Chiang Mai and agree with you 100 percent, Thais out and about working going to jobs doing their thing, no crazy hospitals that we know about.

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, Canuck1966 said:

pìssups and breweries spring to mind

Agree, until perhaps 24 / 36 hours ago we had several ministers making statements and announcements, and making rules and policies. Too many cooks, and no clear understanding of who was responsible for all aspects of the virus.

 

Included we had the health minister making various announcements the hours later changing the policies etc.

 

Added to that the fake Dr., who spent time in jail in Australia for drugs appears to be on the sidelines of illegal and immoral export of masks. 

 

Where's the leadership?

 

 

 

Edited March 13, 2020 by scorecard