Must Read Majority of people back shutdown of country to tackle Covid-19: poll

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Majority of people back shutdown of country to tackle Covid-19: poll

 

 

The majority of people in the country are in favour of shutting the country down in order to stop Covid-19 from spreading, a recent poll showed.

 

The NIDA Poll by the National Institute of Development Administration was conducted on March 18 and 19, with 1,257 respondents aged 18 and older.

 

According to the poll, 67.38 per cent of people agreed with the idea of a shutdown.

 

About 18.22 per cent quite agreed with the idea, saying high-risk countries have mostly shutdown and Thailand should also shut itself down, in order to prevent the virus spreading.

 

Some 5.5 per cent disagreed with the idea of a shutdown, as it would affect the economy, tourism and international relations. Some of them also said that the Covid-19 situation was not severe and doctors could control it.

 

Some 7.80 per cent said there must be a better way than shutting down. However, some of them specified that the government should close only crowded cities, and shut places with high density of population, such as entertainment venues and theatres.

 

Around 1 per cent had no opinion.

 

In addition, 33.26 per cent of respondents agreed with the idea of shutting down provinces, 20.92 per cent quite agreed, 19.89 quite disagreed, 24.18 per cent totally disagreed, and 1.75 per cent did not have an opinion.

 

Furthermore, 79 per cent of samples agreed to close bars and other entertainment venues nationwide, 14.08 per cent quite agreed, 3.82 quite disagreed, 2.23 per cent totally disagreed, and 0.87 per cent did not offer an opinion.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30384571

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-03-21

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[spinner2020]

guess I am in a minority. But not as small a minority as the number of people who will actually catch this flu.

[Chazar]

is  that the same  majority  who  got  this  govt  in?

[Lissos]

All I want is some f'g notice of a shutdown. Give me a day's notice and I'm fine with it. I just don't want to wake up one morning and find I can't get on a bus back to Bangkok. 

[riclag]

Can you imagine the police  enforcing this,I can't ! It would have to be a military presence, like in 2014 with soldiers doing the policing, guns drawn!

[Antonymous]

Another badly designed survey.

 

Not really surprised that "79 per cent of samples agreed to close bars and other entertainment venues nationwide" but I wonder what reasons were offered for that?

 

How about if the question stated close all temples nationwide? Same same gatherings in pubs etc., but would that get the same 79% response do you think?

[dinsdale]

31 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Some of them also said that the Covid-19 situation was not severe and doctors could control it.

Guess this must have been the Govt, PM and Miniters they surveyed.

[xtof2]

37 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Some 7.80 per cent said there must be a better way than shutting down.

Like... opening up ????

[timendres]

31 minutes ago, riclag said:

Can you imagine the police  enforcing this,I can't ! It would have to be a military presence, like in 2014 with soldiers doing the policing, guns drawn!

Shut the malls. Close the BTS and MRT. Take the taxis, buses and minivans off the roads. Close every major entertainment venue. Close every university and school. Close every temple. Close every office building. Close every 7/11. Done. And all of that can be accomplished without the need for police or military, to be honest. Let's hope they are judicious with the closings, and people also act intelligently, and maybe we will get lucky.

[wasabi]

They have to shut these malls and eateries down for sit in dining or there'll be no adherence to social distancing and powerful exponentiation of viral transmission. Worse than there is now. I live next door to a mall with a small food court. The food court was packed just now with Farang and Thai alike sitting shoulder to shoulder, leaning in to talk to each other. I sensed an attitude of I will not live in fear, no one tells me what to do. Well if they were not morons they would be afraid which does not mean panic but being careful. Since they were eating of course no masks and no hand sanitizers I could see. People are sheep and in situations like this need to be forced to cooperate to save their fellow man as they will act like idiots to the point we all die. There have been a few heroes in this ordeal but mostly sheep people acting like morons too stupid to comprehend and survive an extraordinary event without the firm hand of the law. Really disgusting behavior I just saw.

[Lissos]

40 minutes ago, timendres said:

Shut the malls. Close the BTS and MRT. Take the taxis, buses and minivans off the roads. Close every major entertainment venue. Close every university and school. Close every temple. Close every office building. Close every 7/11. Done. And all of that can be accomplished without the need for police or military, to be honest. Let's hope they are judicious with the closings, and people also act intelligently, and maybe we will get lucky.

Well all that is fine if you live here. As I say, if that was going to happen, I just hope they give everyone at least a day's notice to prepare and get into a more favourable position. I fly out in several days time. No BTS, no Bus, no Taxi, what the hell am I and many thousands of tourists supposed to do in such scenarios? To clarify, I don't object to such a measure if it came - just give advance notice, instead of us waking up to find that we're stuck where we are, in lockdown.

[timendres]

7 minutes ago, Lissos said:

Well all that is fine if you live here. As I say, if that was going to happen, I just hope they give everyone at least a day's notice to prepare and get into a more favourable position. I fly out in several days time. No BTS, no Bus, no Taxi, what the hell am I and many thousands of tourists supposed to do in such scenarios? To clarify, I don't object to such a measure if it came - just give advance notice, instead of us waking up to find that we're stuck where we are, in lockdown.

Please do not misunderstand my post. I was not suggesting any of those measures. I was simply responding to a previous post that suggested that such a "shutdown" would require a military presence.

 

I agree with you that any measures taken should provide some planning time. However, as this rapidly unfolds under incompetent leadership, we can expect more knee-jerk reactions and spontaneous ill considered declarations.

 

Good luck with your exit. I hope you can get home safely.

[Grumpy John]

2014 wasn't to bad up here.  The cops were watching the army guys and the army guys were watching the cops...but the cops were out gunned!  So no trouble,  we were waved through every time.  But next time it maybe different,  they may want to see our permit to travel. 

[NCC1701A]

Everything in Thailand OK. Sure.

[Cake Monster]

Well 67.38% back a shut down of the Nation today

Ask the same people the same question in 2 weeks time, after they cant go shopping or do what they want when they want.

I rally think the result of the Poll will be different somewhat.

[Antonymous]

35 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

Everything in Thailand OK. Sure.

Maybe, maybe not. But here's a report live from the trenches in the countryside north of Chiang Mai.

 

It is a lovely evening, clear air (PM2.5 is currently 38) and skies. Wife and I decided to go for a spin on the motorbike to enjoy the breeze, instead of driving the car for a change.

 

Rode through half a dozen villages, paying attention to what everyone was up to. Must have passed by several hundred people going about their business. Lots of smiles and waves as per usual. The usual gatherings in markets, meeting places, restaurants and shops along the way.

 

Not a single person wearing a mask. Not one. In short, everything normal and nothing to suggest that anyone was remotely concerned with the news. No panic here.

 

Please don't shoot the messenger.

[connda]

3 hours ago, spinner2020 said:

guess I am in a minority. But not as small a minority as the number of people who will actually catch this flu.

I don't see what the problem is.  People get the flu all the time.  Like all forms of flu the weakest minority will die and the strongest majority will recover.  Amazing times when a flu is elevated to hysterical levels to become something wayyyy more than it is right up to the point where the decisions to contain it are allowed to destroy the world's economies.  Is this the template that will be followed each year every time a new strain of flu shows up?
So much for cooler minds.  The panic will destroy the world as we know it, not the flu.  The flu will come and go.  Some will shuttle off their mortal sleeves; the rest will go back to their lives - in economies that have been artificially devastated.

In the meantime, between the time Covid-19 surfaced in Wuhan and today, based on averages there has probably been 4000 or so road fatality where people died at the scene on Thai roads.  And no one blinks. 
Using the same logic, shouldn't people stay home and driving be banned?

 

 

Edited March 21, 2020 by connda

[connda]

3 hours ago, riclag said:

Can you imagine the police  enforcing this,I can't ! It would have to be a military presence, like in 2014 with soldiers doing the policing, guns drawn!

It would be like herding cats.

[dinsdale]

1 hour ago, Cake Monster said:

Well 67.38% back a shut down of the Nation today

Ask the same people the same question in 2 weeks time, after they cant go shopping or do what they want when they want.

I rally think the result of the Poll will be different somewhat.

In 2 weeks time some of those people might be dead. I guess the result would be somewhat different.

[EricTh]

What next? Shut interprovince travel?

[DrTuner]

Do they understand what shutdown would mean to their daily lives - I doubt it. Regardless, it will happen. Prepare while you can.

[DrTuner]

1 hour ago, EricTh said:

What next? Shut interprovince travel?

Yes, mandatory curfew. Same as after 2014 coup but on steroids. Thais actually do have experience in shutting the country down.

Edited March 21, 2020 by DrTuner

[Lissos]

4 hours ago, Antonymous said:

........

 

Rode through half a dozen villages, paying attention to what everyone was up to. Must have passed by several hundred people going about their business. Lots of smiles and waves as per usual. The usual gatherings in markets, meeting places, restaurants and shops along the way.

 

Not a single person wearing a mask. Not one. In short, everything normal and nothing to suggest that anyone was remotely concerned with the news. No panic here.

I'm on Koh Samet and it is similar in the port village. Cross generational living, eating huddled together, sharing food and beer bottles. Nobody seems concerned, but the Bar and Massage Shop ban of Bangkok eventually reached here this evening. If it every does explode in semi rural Thailand, my god it's going to be brutal given the way multi generations interact so closely. I truly hope nothing happens but feel sorry for these folk because they seem blissfully oblivious about it and the sucker punch will ache. 

[legend49]

he NIDA Poll by the National Institute of Development Administration was conducted on March 18 and 19, with 1,257 respondents

 

Since when does 1,257 represent the county's majority of over 65 million????

[Letseng]

On 3/21/2020 at 10:50 AM, timendres said:

Shut the malls. Close the BTS and MRT. Take the taxis, buses and minivans off the roads. Close every major entertainment venue. Close every university and school. Close every temple. Close every office building. Close every 7/11. Done. And all of that can be accomplished without the need for police or military, to be honest. Let's hope they are judicious with the closings, and people also act intelligently, and maybe we will get lucky.

I luve presently in a locked down country. We booted all tourists out, hotels shut, airport is closed, borders are closed. Lockdown works. Our police keeps an eye on it, fines are stiff. You got to keep distance of at least 1 m from ppl. How do you do this in Bangkok. Pics I see tell me the opposite of keeping distance.

I'm glad our govt. shut the gate and I could't go back to BKK. Was annoyed at first. No more.

Stay healthy and keep distance.

 

[404error]

The problem with you people who do not take corvid-19 seriously just shows disrespect to others and quite possibly you are completely empty between the ears.
Not being at risk does not mean that others are not. You think you're healthy but you don't know. Every day can change that. And finally, you will have "blood on your hands" because you do not respect the restrictions and infect others. if you are unlucky to infect someone I hope it is the one you love the most.

[martinhp]

They must shut down bank and landlords too so no rent and no mortgage payments until its start normalise they have to pay there share too and equally help the society to be able at bounce back afterwards 

And no tax for landlords the rest off the year and then landlords can give a discount when it opens up 

The government was not on top of the virus good if they can be on top off the run including the run back when it's time