Have you changed your mind yet? - Revisiting my post regarding lack of training, preparation and willingness to observe safety protocols at Suvarnabhumi 2 months ago

[Genmai]

Some of you might remember when nearly 2 months ago in late January I posted this thread where I shared my experience of flying into Suvarnabhumi airport and encountering what I could only describe as total negligence and apathy on behalf of the staff and planners to curtail the virus spread. Around that time the Nation had posted a feel-good article about how busy and diligent officials were at implementing several measures to "prevent spread of Wuhan virus". My experience arriving had shown that, as always, this was just a bunch of face saving lip service <deleted> and in reality not much was being done. If anyone wants to read in detail the thread is still up but basically: 

 

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Nobody cleaned anything. One person had gloves. Masks were useless and uselessly worn. Nobody was encouraged to clean their hands. Sneezy snotty sick people were in the queue with everybody.

 

In short, there's not a chance in hell they are going to contain this thing. I advise everyone to plan accordingly.

 

All I did was provide my account of how NONE of the measures to contain the virus from the article were in effect and how staff were seemingly oblivious to what the actual measures were. 

 

At no point did I comment on the virulence/severity of the virus, on my own level of preparedness or even on the efficacy of the measures proposed.

 

The response was interesting. A small handful of posters agreed and saw the point I was making (aside from calling the officials out on their BS) - that no matter how well WE may prepare (hand gel, etc) there are going to be thousands of others who will NOT, and the job of those who manage public spaces in an effort to contain infectious diseases is to ensure that the potentially destructive actions of those who do NOT prepare are mitigated through proper provision and management of public spaces. Clearly if airport officials had actually bothered to carry out the measures they claimed to be implementing in the Nation article (hourly cleanups, wearing masks and gloves, disinfectant, separating sick people, etc) we would all likely be in a much better position now. 

 

The vast majority of posters wanted me to die in a fire. The bulk of the response to what I said was condemnation. I was called everything under the sun from an arrogant know-it-all whiney farang to a paranoid fear mongering nanny state lover, with a healthy sprinkling of "It's Just The Flu, Bro". Many people wished that I had been blacklisted and turned away. One courteous poster even remarked:

 

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It's unforgivable to think people like the OP exist...

 

Another had this foreboding tidbit to say:

 

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My jokey post about barricading yourself in your hotel room would seem to be the logical approach if he has the level of fear he expressed in his OP and subsequent follow ups. 

 

A jokey post indeed! Hey, guess what - it's March and many of us are being FORCED to barricade ourselves wherever we can, and even worse those who don't barricade themselves are being fined! Well who woulda thunk it eh? 

 

Another suggested some fashionable attire for a raving lunatic such as myself:

 

 

In the end I gave up on trying to talk sense and had this to say:

 

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As far as my own personal health and well-being goes I'm not in the least bit concerned for myself. So no, fear is not the guiding emotion here. The only fear I have is that many of you might have to eat your words at some point in the future.

 

So here we are 2 months in the future. The world is a very different place now. Not a single person knows what it will look like 2 months from now. In this country panic buying has already set in and full national lockdown seems imminent. At the same time a very helpful engineer-turned-health minister seems hellbent on peddling a dangerous xenophobic narrative that WE are the cause of the problem.

 

And of course the lies and failures to do anything properly keep coming. As a side note, I actually flew from Bangkok into Chiang Mai recently after cases started to erupt in the capital. This news article had just been published where it stated:

 

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Chiang Mai Airport director Nattawut Ta-inta said local and foreign passengers arriving at the airport are being screened and required to fill in certain information on a form as part of the measures to prevent Covid-19 from spreading in the city.

 

I bet you're all curious what those "measures" were. Here you go:

 

 

That's the measures. A leaflet handed out at the exit after you grab your luggage and head to the taxis. No "filling in of certain information on a form" as they claimed, no nothing. A piece of paper that politely asks you to report yourself in to the village community leader. Who in the hell is going to do this? Nobody! They could have done this so much better. They could have easily routed all Bangkok arrivals such as myself through to international where an officer would have collected some paper with a name and address, so people would at least have the impression that somebody COULD check on them. Instead they just let God knows how many possibly infected people fly from BKK to all over the country without any oversight. Am I a responsible citizen who will observe the 14 day quarantine because I flew in from Bangkok? Yes. How many people on that plane are likely to do this? Hardly any. Are there any repercussions if I break quarantine? None whatsoever.

 

 

In regards to my thread, one thing I found particularly telling was that none of the people who were slagging me off could answer a simple question which I put forward (twice) -

 

 

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Let me ask you all just one thing. Do you have a wife/kids/SO/girlfriend here? Because I'd bet that if you do and they happened to catch this virus then you would all change your tune pretty quickly. You might wish that the officials and airport staff had actually done something to prevent the situation from escalating instead of lying to everyone like they always do. You might even wish that there would have been more people making a fuss about how nothing was done to prevent the spread and fewer people who told the "arrogant know-it-all Thai-bashing naysayers" to get a grip and leave if they didn't like it.

 

 

As things start heating up it seems like this is an appropriate time to revisit this question. So again, to all the people who roasted me for bringing up airport officials' hypocrisy - Do you have a wife/children/SO/girlfriend/family here? Would you change your tune if they got sick with this thing, yes or no?   

 

@Letseng @ujayujay @galenjones @madmen @Nanaplaza666 @ThaiBunny @Matzzon @MaxiMaxi @WinnieTheKhwai @buick @thaibeachlovers @faraday @NanLaew @mike787 @bwpage3 @shy coconut @URMySunshine

 

Well?

[timendres]

You are so vindicated. Congratulations.

[Chazar]

nah I  had  no  problems  knowing the  Thai authorities and Thai  people in general would  not  let me down and go on with their selfishness and gross  stupidity, just  look at the driving most are  clueless and like with many things they copy  each  other and make exactly the same mistakes, laugh it  off if  you mention it to them or  tell me I dont understand.

Most things are  ignored here, unless its  something minor or trivial that warrants being forgotten due to badly  implemented. vague  rules..........just  look at TM30, still a waste of time, 90 day reports, still a waste  of  time, reams of  stupid  paperwork numerous  copies and MUST only be signed in a blue  pen,  hiding  rubbish  bins when you are  out and about because "they dont  look beautiful"  no  passengers in pick up beds, rules enforced then ignored the next day etc etc.........nah I have no confidence in ANYTHING they do.

The  ones who want to change it are hindered , repressed, locked  up, by a wholly corrupt  govt.

[Odysseus123]

1 hour ago, Genmai said:

Well?

I remember your post well....and was simply amazed by some of the responses.

 

I can only surmise that the forward pack was in the mood for a bit of a rumble and had no intention of getting the ball out to the back line...it happens at times.????

Edited March 24, 2020 by Odysseus123

[Davo369]

Sorry to the OP, ive had.........

[Chazar]

16 minutes ago, Davo369 said:

Sorry to the OP, ive had.........

b

[Matzzon]

What are you on about,and why are you changing the tone from being non polite and showing anger when arriving to trying to overshadow that with the importance of the virus?

I posted this:

On 1/29/2020 at 7:07 AM, Matzzon said:

My response to that would be that you are probably very lucky that they did not contain you with your terrible attitude. Sometimes in life there are things that are worse than a virus, and you are walking a very thin line on the way to proving that.

and I posted this:

On 1/29/2020 at 9:33 PM, Matzzon said:

And you are totally missing that huge amount of people that not agree with you. You might do better to reconsider and understand that you are over reacting. However, with the long reply I have no hope that is going to happen. So, just move on with you misery and negative attitude. You would also do well in understanding that these people you are talking about have this as an everyday work, which I would assume can be very stressing sometime. If you just had some understanding for that, then it would probably help a lot. Finally he gave you the hand sanitizer, didn´t he? What are you complaining about then?

What I am mentioning in my 2 post as replies to you in your earlier thread in you behaviour and that it´s not a proper one. Sure, I also mention that you are overreacting, but that is also focused on your behaviour at arrival and your irritation on people that have to deal with this on an everyday basis.

Never did I mention anything about the importance to protect yourself, severity of the virus or made a joke about it. That I made a joke about you. Yeah, that is just something you have to take posting something in the way you did. As for my first comment, I will still stand by it. The reason for that is, a virus can be contained and eventually will be controlled. You on the other hand are going to be free and are roaming the world for a life time.

 

Based on this, your new thread, and my comments above I have some questions for you:

 

1. When did I say that it was not important to protect yourself and others from the virus outbreak?

 

2. When did I mention anything about not worrying about my family, wife and children?

3. Why should I change tone, when it was you that was irritated and posted a bad behaviour towards the poor people that have to deal with this everyday?

 

4. If you can not give me any facts that support your hidden accusations for question 1-3, maybe it should follow a written excuse.

At last, just as a little vital information to you. In all threads we have here on TVF, either I or many other will make all from funny to sarcastic jokes. They are just jokes and should be seen as that. That was also something that many of the posters you mentioned in this new thread did. It´s just you that have a difficulty of understanding and dealing with that fact. You know, an open Internet forum is not suitable for everyone. Maybe you should consider that fact as well.

[faraday]

I feel as Chazar does in post #3; I wasn't expecting anything different from the Thai 'authorities' & I wasn't disappointed by their response.

 

If I remember rightly, my response to your original thread, was something about personal responsibility. I still stand by my comment, but then most falang do understand what that entails, whereas many Thai people don't.

 

Anyway, your post is so astoundingly long, I couldn't be bovvered to plough through it. So I might have missed a few points, or whatever.

 

Can I ask though, are you a bit bored, because your post was of epic proportions?

 

Enjoy your day.

 

*Wry smile emoji*

 

 

 

 

 

[Grumpy John]

I don't remember seeing your post specifically.  I do remember someone posted about the lackadaisical attitude of the people at the airport.  Probably thought, sounds about right.  Don't know why you copped some kee quay.  Maybe some haven't been here long enough to  get it..... 

 

[donnacha]

Let it go, man ????

For at least the past month, I have been astonished by how incapable some members here were of comprehending what was happening right in front of them. The trend lines made it obvious that this was going to be a massive problem for everyone, it was only a matter of time.

One good result, for me, of the discussions surrounding this catastrophe is that I got much better at quickly identifying which people were not even thinking. Anyone spouting nonsense along the lines of "More people die of the flu", well, you instantly knew you were dealing with a moron. Same goes for the people claiming it was all just media hype.

The most hilarious thing is the vehemence and absolute certainty with which some continue to argue their case, long after the virus has fled the test tube. Our friend @Matzzon, above, is a perfect example, reliable leaving little "sad" or "confused" emojis on countless posts that made perfect sense, and then attacking with his own incomprehensible arguments. Sadly, he and many others will continue denying reality far into the future. If reality contradicts their egos, or something they heard on YouTube, reality must be wrong.

So, it is a complete waste of time to make an "I told you so" post. Anyone with any sense agreed with you then. Who cares about the rambling dregs of expat life? You wouldn't waste much time talking to them in a bar, would you? Why do it here?

 

Edited March 25, 2020 by donnacha

[losworld]

There were many ignorant fools laughing and downplaying the severity of this virus.  

[ThaiBunny]

5 hours ago, Genmai said:

Do you have a wife/children/SO/girlfriend/family here? Would you change your tune if they got sick with this thing, yes or no? 

Lots of people are "getting sick" but I'm no Chicken Little

[Matzzon]

55 minutes ago, donnacha said:

Who cares about the rambling dregs of expat life?

Really? You have a way with words, don´t you? Hillarious! Probably an effect of non existing breast feeding.

 

However, when you are at it. Why don´t you tell us all the reality and what to expect as well what to do. I mean that would be a part of the thing necessary to drag others down, right?

 

Let´s hear you now.

[cornishcarlos]

1 hour ago, donnacha said:

Our friend @Matzzon, above, is a perfect example, reliable leaving little "sad" or "confused" emojis on countless posts that made perfect sense, and then attacking with his own incomprehensible arguments.

 

Thank you... I was just thinking exactly the same thing ????

[CraigInBangkok]

⭐ there's a gold star for you! You can print that off and stick ....... (please complete the sentence)

[donnacha]

1 hour ago, donnacha said:

Who cares about the rambling dregs of expat life?

 

30 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

Really? You have a way with words, don´t you? Hillarious! Probably an effect of non existing breast feeding.

I rest my case.
 

[Matzzon]

14 minutes ago, donnacha said:

 

I rest my case.
 

Exactly. You wish to be quiet now, when you get the chance to lay out your wide knowledge. Because there is none, is it? Maybe consider to be quiet from start next time.

Edited March 25, 2020 by Matzzon

[Peter Denis]

[Grumpy John]

1 hour ago, Matzzon said:

Exactly. You wish to be quiet now, when you get the chance to lay out your wide knowledge. Because there is none, is it? Maybe consider to be quiet from start next time.

There are several Sam Clemens quotes that could be directed at Matzzon but being spoiled for choice makes it difficult to pick one!  I turn to the words of Ben Franklin taking aim at a wider,  but seemingly growing audience. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain, and most fools do. "   But as an Australian I understand sometimes we need to vent our frustration and disapproval of POS politician's and Rsole bureaucrats. 

[JimLuce]

This thread needs that contest judge from the movie Billy Madison lol. 

[Thingamabob]

Stop bitching and whining, and go away.

[soalbundy]

I myself am not too worried about the virus although I am 71. I am in good health and have a good immune system. Having said that I would be careful in large cities or crowded events but since I live in the countryside that isn't going to happen, nobody in my village takes it seriously when in the village but I think a lot now wear masks when shopping at the supermarket and I will now because I don't want to be frowned upon, its all a case of luck and good or bad genes. Panic doesn't help, 95% of people will get through it as if it was a case of flu but if you are old and obese, have high blood pressure and/or diabetes then yes you should be worried or take extreme caution.

[Davo369]

14 hours ago, Chazar said:

b

 

[5633572526]

On 3/25/2020 at 5:23 AM, Matzzon said:

What are you on about,and why are you changing the tone from being non polite and showing anger when arriving to trying to overshadow that with the importance of the virus?

I posted this:

and I posted this:

What I am mentioning in my 2 post as replies to you in your earlier thread in you behaviour and that it´s not a proper one. Sure, I also mention that you are overreacting, but that is also focused on your behaviour at arrival and your irritation on people that have to deal with this on an everyday basis.

Never did I mention anything about the importance to protect yourself, severity of the virus or made a joke about it. That I made a joke about you. Yeah, that is just something you have to take posting something in the way you did. As for my first comment, I will still stand by it. The reason for that is, a virus can be contained and eventually will be controlled. You on the other hand are going to be free and are roaming the world for a life time.

 

Based on this, your new thread, and my comments above I have some questions for you:

 

1. When did I say that it was not important to protect yourself and others from the virus outbreak?

 

2. When did I mention anything about not worrying about my family, wife and children?

3. Why should I change tone, when it was you that was irritated and posted a bad behaviour towards the poor people that have to deal with this everyday?

 

4. If you can not give me any facts that support your hidden accusations for question 1-3, maybe it should follow a written excuse.

At last, just as a little vital information to you. In all threads we have here on TVF, either I or many other will make all from funny to sarcastic jokes. They are just jokes and should be seen as that. That was also something that many of the posters you mentioned in this new thread did. It´s just you that have a difficulty of understanding and dealing with that fact. You know, an open Internet forum is not suitable for everyone. Maybe you should consider that fact as well.

You truly have some serious issues that I hope you get help for.

[Matzzon]

3 hours ago, 5633572526 said:

You truly have some serious issues that I hope you get help for.

Thank you, Sir! That´s kind. Only one thing. Can you please give me the name of your shrink, so I can avoid permanent damage. 

[Isaan Alan]

On 3/25/2020 at 5:02 AM, Odysseus123 said:

I remember your post well....and was simply amazed by some of the responses.

 

I can only surmise that the forward pack was in the mood for a bit of a rumble and had no intention of getting the ball out to the back line...it happens at times.????

Even Frankie said: some folks get their kicks stomping on a dream.

 

Stick your head up on this forum and you will shot at  but you will also get some smart, helpful answers, suggestions and thanks.

It's a very mixed bag but it's still worth it to post,

 

That's life