SURVEY: Covid-19, Is Thailand on the right track?

[Scott]

Thailand recently added to the list of countries who must self-monitor themselves while in Thailand.   In your opinion, do you think Thailand is on the right track in dealing with Covid-19?  

Please feel free to leave a comment.

For further reading:

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1153479-covid-19-thailand-adds-uk-usa-and-others-to-list-of-high-risk-countries-new-“self-monitoring”-measure for-travellers/

 

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

One true figures catch up public will be more aware. Temple event today our area had a 1000 or more there. A forest of money trees.

47 advised today go back up to 2 weeks. So estimate 50x14 =700 as catch up figure.

Ordered my thermometer on Lazada so can check mummy before bed each night. We keep on top of it ourselves stay home as much as possible.

Stay safe all.

 

 

 

[RBOP]

Compared to the West, Yes, Thailand is far ahead. 

[Orton Rd]

9 minutes ago, RBOP said:

Compared to the West, Yes, Thailand is far ahead. 

Can we have one example of that?

[alant]

survey needs a "really don't know" option as apart from being more transparent and unbiased with my information I am not sure I would know what is best.

[Laughing Gravy]

4 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Can we have one example of that?

It has more Hubs than anywhere else.

 

[Okis]

1 hour ago, Orton Rd said:

Can we have one example of that?

Well some western countries like mine(Sweden) will let it spread to 50-60% of the population because at that time supposedly the population will develop immunity to it. I'm pretty sure that is the strategy of UK aswell. 

 

I'm sure that decision was based on opinions of people with good knowledge.

But IMO it's a sick thing to be ready to let go of the lifes of the eldery and people with conditions just like that. Honestly it's disgusting. 

Edited March 16, 2020 by Okis

[Isaanbiker]

I know the educational system very well, and I'm aware of how good most doctors here are.

 

 Doing the easy math, and you'll find out that Thailand can't be on the right track.

 

  The biggest problem is the loss of face.

 

Would Thailand know the real numbers, they would not tell us.

 

Anything considered harmful is terrible.

The hospitals do not have rooms to separate sick patients, and doctors are not available on weekends. 

 

Unfortunately, the quality of an ordinary doctor here is pretty low.

 

Dealing with such a pandemic is different from the flu giving all patients a lot of Antibiotics and Paracetamol! 

 

Not many virologists and microbiologists are coming from the former "Land of Smiles." 

 

  The government shuts down people who post important facts on social media and is not much different from Communist China. 

 

 

 

  

Edited March 16, 2020 by Isaanbiker
Diseases are bad. Don't talk about them.

[BritManToo]

Bit unfair on Thailand.

I think all the countries are taking actions just for show.

 

Most of the western countries would secretly be happy if all the old folk died.

It would save them a fortune in pensions/welfare/housing.

Edited March 16, 2020 by BritManToo

[fantom]

If recent comments by the prime minister and others are anything to go by there is a complete lack of central planning.

They are not on the 'wrong track, they are not on any track at all.

Edited March 16, 2020 by fantom
spelling

[transam]

3 hours ago, RBOP said:

Compared to the West, Yes, Thailand is far ahead. 

Yes, I recall when our lad was 15 he had a school medical, Doctor looked at his finger nails and said..."You are going to have a heart attack and cancer"............Absolutely true....

 

Wow.....now that is one clever doctor eh................????................????.........................????

 

PS. As the kid was really worried so we took him to a hospital to talk to a Doctor. She laughed and sent us on our way......

[Caine]

You obviously mean by being on the right track as lying about their controls and numbers. This is Thailand, they can’t lie straight in bed. 

[Moonlover]

Personally I think the results of this survey says more about the jaundiced attitude the majority of TVF voters than it does about The Thailand government's response to the Covid 19 outbreak.

[transam]

2 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Personally I think the results of this survey says more about the jaundiced attitude the majority of TVF voters than it does about The Thailand government's response to the Covid 19 outbreak.

Some of us who have been here a long time and have listened/read a lot of daft stuff from the powers that be over that period........????

 

Just look at how they have slashed the number of road casualties.............

Police given six months to learn English.......

Tourists asking for trouble wearing bikinis on LOS beaches......

Smoking has been banned/stopped within 5 mitres of bars etc....

Bridge players have been rounded up as naughty gamblers..........

Etc............

[OneMoreFarang]

3 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

3 hours ago, RBOP said:

Compared to the West, Yes, Thailand is far ahead. 

Can we have one example of that?

Look at the USA and how many people they test...

[Max69xl]

3 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Can we have one example of that?

One of the reasons several countries in Europe have many infected is because they travel abroad a lot, especially during the winter holiday. Many went for example to Italy. Then they went home and brought the infection with them. Thailand got the virus mainly from Chinese tourists and from people visiting China for several reasons,and some from guest workers in South Korea. There are VERY FEW Thai travelling abroad compared to other countries and that's one reason the domestic transmission of the virus is quite low. 

[Moonlover]

23 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

One of the reasons several countries in Europe have many infected is because they travel abroad a lot, especially during the winter holiday. Many went for example to Italy. Then they went home and brought the infection with them. Thailand got the virus mainly from Chinese tourists and from people visiting China for several reasons,and some from guest workers in South Korea. There are VERY FEW Thai travelling abroad compared to other countries and that's one reason the domestic transmission of the virus is quite low. 

And the other reason and probably the more important one, is that the climate in Europe is conducive to rapid spread of the virus. Just take a look around the web. Temperate zones=rapid spread. Tropical zones=sluggish spread.

 

There is nowhere in SEA or southern Asia that has an outbreak any near as bad as what's happening in Europe right now. Even Hong Kong which is joined at the hip to China has a very low infection rate.

 

It's all about the climate.

 

Edited March 16, 2020 by Moonlover

[Caldera]

Well, that was an easy one!

 

Someone isn't nicknamed General Pinocchio for no reason.

 

[Misty]

33 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

And the other reason and probably the more important one, is that the climate in Europe is conducive to rapid spread of the virus. Just take a look around the web. Temperate zones=rapid spread. Tropical zones=sluggish spread.

 

There is nowhere in SEA or southern Asia that has an outbreak any near as bad as what's happening in Europe right now. Even Hong Kong which is joined at the hip to China has a very low infection rate.

 

It's all about the climate.

 

I really hope so, but we don't know that yet.

 

Demographics and lack of wide-scale testing may also be at play.  Average age of person dying of coronavirus in Italy is 81. SEA Asia doesn't have nearly as many people of that age as a percentage of total population. Even Thailand, with an aging population, doesn't have a lot of really old people.  Meanwhile young people don't tend to get very sick, and can even be asymptomatic - not even getting a fever.

 

Countries like South Korea which conducting wide testing, have a better idea of what's going on.  Countries like Italy (and Thailand) are only testing if someone has symptoms.  Although the death rate in Italy seems really high, likely a lot of young people have it (even brought it home to grandparents) but have never been tested and may think they are well.

 

There's must be a reason other countries have banned Thai residents from visiting, despite the very low reported numbers.  Have to wonder if Thailand is a vector country - having many infected, but not showing symptoms. 

[mtls2005]

56 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

It's all about the climate.

 

Meh.

 

Influenza is a big problem here, has been for ages. Look at H1N1 circa 2009/2010 (worse in Singapore).

 

Peak flu season here is June-August, and October-February.

 

In the northern hemisphere you have the combination of people staying indoors more, shorter days (UV/Vitamin D) rather than the outside ambient temperature.

 

Hard to tell in Thailand is "on track" given the lack of transparency. We're on a track, just hope there's not another train heading towards us on the same track. That would be a ...

[DefaultName]

If they can't publish accurate figures because they aren't testing enough, iI can't say if they're doing enough or not.

[Moonlover]

59 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Meh.

 

Influenza is a big problem here, has been for ages. Look at H1N1 circa 2009/2010 (worse in Singapore).

 

Peak flu season here is June-August, and October-February.

 

In the northern hemisphere you have the combination of people staying indoors more, shorter days (UV/Vitamin D) rather than the outside ambient temperature.

 

Hard to tell in Thailand is "on track" given the lack of transparency. We're on a track, just hope there's not another train heading towards us on the same track. That would be a ...

Yes, you're comments are just about right. I am not suggesting that a coronavirus cannot exist in a tropical environment. The big difference is that in the winter of a temperate climate a coronavirus can propagate much faster and hence infect many more people on a short timescale.

 

One only has to look at the speed of propagation in Italy and then compare it with that of any country in SEA or the sub continent. The difference is glaringly obvious.

 

So I'm not really concerned as to whether the government is playing down the figures or not. The anecdotal evidence, from across the whole region suggests that we are not facing a major outbreak.

[Ireland32]

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Bit unfair on Thailand.

I think all the countries are taking actions just for show.

 

Most of the western countries would secretly be happy if all the old folk died.

It would save them a fortune in pensions/welfare/housing.

I call it the The Pension Flu, Perfect Storm for Social Security, Pensions , Annuities , etc

[transam]

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

Yes, you're comments are just about right. I am not suggesting that a coronavirus cannot exist in a tropical environment. The big difference is that in the winter of a temperate climate a coronavirus can propagate much faster and hence infect many more people on a short timescale.

 

One only has to look at the speed of propagation in Italy and then compare it with that of any country in SEA or the sub continent. The difference is glaringly obvious.

 

So I'm not really concerned as to whether the government is playing down the figures or not. The anecdotal evidence, from across the whole region suggests that we are not facing a major outbreak.

Think Italy thought that, and Iranians thought someone "up there", listening to them chanting, would take care of them..... 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

One only has to look at the speed of propagation in Italy and then compare it with that of any country in SEA or the sub continent. The difference is glaringly obvious.

Assuming the governments are all equally truthful.

[Don Mega]

7 hours ago, alant said:

survey needs a "really don't know" option as apart from being more transparent and unbiased with my information I am not sure I would know what is best.

survey needs a "you owe me a new keyboard cause I just spat coffee all over this one" option cause the Thai number are utter nonsense.

[drguid]

I thought Thailand would escape the worst due to the sunny weather. However that theory was blown away over the weekend. Now the Southern Hemisphere seems to be on track for just as bad a time of it as Europe.

 

I think the only benefit Thailand has is that people spend more time outdoors.

 

Incidentally I still have the chest infection I picked up a month ago in Bangkok. I think the PM 2.5's wrecked my lungs.

[Puwa]

Wrong track because

 

1. Stats aren't credible

2. Pushed consumption of masks and gel, instead of more economical and effective handwashing, causing shortages, panic shopping, hoarding, gouging, corruption, and ensuring that the poor will take no precautions

3. Didn't ban Chinese travelers early

4. Anutin's potty mouth (he's in way over his head, but i do like his ganja policies)

5. Pushing the "dirty foreigner" angle when i would estimate that in 30 years i've seen no more than 25% of Thai men wash their hands with soap in public toilets (maybe for widespread lack of soap)

6. Didn't disinfect ports of entry and fingerprint scanners immediately

7. Unclear guidelines on isolation and quarantine, lists of countries keep changing

 

This gives me no satisfaction, as I have always felt that Public Health was one of the most effective ministries, and Thailand has excellent professionals. They've done amazing work on human and animal disease control at the land borders etc. But this pandemic has been a political event from the beginning.

 

Edited March 16, 2020 by Puwa

[transam]

6 minutes ago, Puwa said:

Wrong track because

 

1. Stats aren't credible

2. Pushed consumption of masks and gel, instead of more economical and effective handwashing, causing shortages, panic shopping, hoarding, gouging, corruption, and ensuring that the poor will take no precautions

3. Didn't ban Chinese travelers early

4. Anutin's potty mouth (he's in way over his head, but i do like his ganja policies)

5. Pushing the "dirty foreigner" angle when i would estimate that in 30 years i've seen no more than 25% of Thai men wash their hands with soap in public toilets (maybe for widespread lack of soap)

6. Didn't disinfect ports of entry and fingerprint scanners immediately

7. Unclear guidelines on isolation and quarantine, lists of countries keep changing

 

This gives me no satisfaction, as I have always felt that Public Health was one of the most effective ministries, and Thailand has excellent professionals. They've done amazing work on human and animal disease control at the land borders etc. But this pandemic has been a political event from the beginning.

 

I was at a land border a few days ago, at immigration I had to take my mask off (OK), but I had to remove my latex gloves to put my hand on the scanner, no hand cleaner present.....Poor show...????

[vogie]

I was in the toilet and my wife said "why are you singing Happy Birthday" and I replied because I'm washing my hands.????