Weymouth man would rather be stuck in Thailand during coronavirus pandemic

By Ellie Maslin

 

Weymouth resident Paul Whittall has described the coronavirus situation in Thailand Picture: Paul Whittall

 

THE contrast between coronavirus management in Thailand and the UK has been laid bare by a Weymouth resident who said he is relieved to be stuck in Phuket for the time being.

 

Paul Whittall, a former fisherman, has had three return flights cancelled, leaving him £1,500 out of pocket - a situation he said is preferable to returning to the 'chaos' back in the UK.

 

Mr Whittall, who now works as a freelance journalist, said he feels safer there due to ‘significantly’ more protective measures, and fewer people disobeying lockdown rules.

 

He described how streets, homes and public areas are sluiced down by disinfectant spraying teams; roadblocks are in place, and it is an arrestable offence to be out without a face mask.

 

“We hear on the news back in England that people are still out and about and going to beaches, it looks utterly chaotic,” Paul Whittall said. “Without a doubt I would rather stay here; it might be draconian but people are calm, there are significantly more measures in place.

 

Full story: https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/18394695.weymouth-man-rather-stuck-thailand-coronavirus-pandemic/

 

-- © Copyright Dorset Echo 2020-04-22

 

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I,m sure many will agree...others will not though....horses for courses and all that

 

p.s. he,s not been sponsored by the P.M. here by any chance...

28 minutes ago, petermik said:

I,m sure many will agree...others will not though....horses for courses and all that

 

p.s. he,s not been sponsored by the P.M. here by any chance...

No. The Sun newspaper.

At least the fisher man has turned in to a freelance journalist unlike Tom (truck driver), Dick (brick lyer), and Harry (plumber) who have become virologists and epidemiologists that resulted in thousands of deaths in their own country and caused a world wide epidemic and now trying to cause havoc in Pattaya by flaunting all the measures put in place to contain the virus like wearing masks, maintaining social distace, drinking with their would be Thai bride in a group outside closed bars, etc. 

Is this the new "Taxi driver gives (insert fantasy amount of money here) back to forgetful customer" - feel good about Thailand- story?

 

"We hear on the news"

 

Right now the only difference between Thailand and the UK is that in the UK one does indeed "hear on the news".

 

 

I was in Europe in March. And fly to Thailand at 12:00. At midnight, literally 12 hours later, they closed the borders. And are closed to this day.

 

I wasn't in Europe for 5 years. And I booked that ticket 3 months in advance. What are a chances of that?!!! Extremely lucky.

Coronavirus: it's less risky to live quietly here, than in the UK. The inaccurate stats in both Thailand and the UK are significantly balanced in our favour, whichever way you look at it. 

 

 

I am still amazed, how anyone can say "Thailand is working"!

They are still not testing, all the numbers they have are plucked out of thin air, they are absolutely unable to financially help their poor and they basically come up every day with 3 different plans, that will be revised 3 hours later!

How thick are your rosy glasses?

2 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

 

No wonder quality journalism has been going down the drain fast over the past two decades or so. It seems everybody who knows how to correctly spell "money in the bank" is jumping on the bandwagon these days -- bored housewives, retired school teachers, gardeners, pool boys, and now former fishermen, too.

Not a well made point.  Have you forgotten the taxi driver, Fred Housego who, in 1980, won the BBC's Mastermind quiz.  He also worked as a messenger for an advertising agency, a postman and a registered tour guide. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Housego

I think this is a daft story. Until he has experienced the Thai health system and how it dealt with him during the pandemic when he was sick, then it's just propagnda nonsense

1 hour ago, The Barmbeker said:

I am still amazed, how anyone can say "Thailand is working"!

They are still not testing, all the numbers they have are plucked out of thin air, they are absolutely unable to financially help their poor and they basically come up every day with 3 different plans, that will be revised 3 hours later!

How thick are your rosy glasses?

Thailand is the 29th on testing and UK 10th.

 

Thailand= 2k test per 1 million

UK= 7k per 1 million

 

The UK tests more, but Thailand is definitely testing. 

 

Everything points towards it that there won't be an alarming outbreak in Thailand. Believing otherwise is unfounded with evidence and sheer panicking. 

Stay inside be safe every one, i feel sorry for the cheap charlies that are stuck in a 22 to 30 mts room. The only excitement they get is either with their left or right hand.

 

Do not go out to early if one can.

2 hours ago, The Barmbeker said:

they are absolutely unable to financially help their poor

And yet they have 30 baht health insurance for all, while in my home country people are panicked on the subject. 

What a moron! There is no chaos in the uk and just as many deaths in Thailand from Chinese flu!

2 hours ago, The Barmbeker said:

I am still amazed, how anyone can say "Thailand is working"!

They are still not testing, all the numbers they have are plucked out of thin air, they are absolutely unable to financially help their poor and they basically come up every day with 3 different plans, that will be revised 3 hours later!

How thick are your rosy glasses?

Absolutely spot on! 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Paul Whittall, a former fisherman, has had three return flights cancelled, leaving him £1,500 out of pocket

He don't do business class then or that would be only one down the swannie .. 

38 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

funny way with your compliments... 

I have no illusions about this place, even though I prefer to live here more than  almost anywere else that I could afford. However, when I hear of one Villiage Head Man banning food deliveries to his villiage, so making the villiagers make a journey to the local town, I see that more than just a few of them are uneducated morons with a taste for power, rather than there to help.  A bit like the Temples and the Monks, part of  the problem not the solution.   Sorry mods if this post reply is a bit off topic.  Please delete if that is so.  

2 hours ago, The Barmbeker said:

I am still amazed, how anyone can say "Thailand is working"!

They are still not testing, all the numbers they have are plucked out of thin air, they are absolutely unable to financially help their poor and they basically come up every day with 3 different plans, that will be revised 3 hours later!

How thick are your rosy glasses?

The exact same could be said about the UK, so if things are even there, Thailand seems the better option for all the reasons we've all moved/visited here in the past.

An off topic rant about journalists and replies has been removed, also other derogatory bickering and troll posts also replies

Unless I'm mistaken, that's the choice the majority of TV readers will have made, no? It's certainly the choice I made although Canada is doing better than the UK. Still rather be here (Laos) than there. Certainly the point that I haven't experienced the health care system under COVID-19 is relevant, but that's kind of why I'm here; so that I don't. To my astonishment, I've discovered that the Lao people are more disciplined than Canadians!

51 minutes ago, whiteman said:

Stay inside be safe every one, i feel sorry for the cheap charlies that are stuck in a 22 to 30 mts room. The only excitement they get is either with their left or right hand.

 

Do not go out to early if one can.

Insulting post. Expats live here for many reasons. Many quietly to escape from a previous unhappy life. They are not all Bargirl chasing alcoholic trouble making misfits. The Cheap Charlie reference is usually made from the I'm alright Jack @@@@ you brigade. Any Expat living here has to meet the financial requirements. Smug people should remember that circumstances can change very quickly in Thailand

Quote

“We hear on the news back in England that people are still out and about and going to beaches, it looks utterly chaotic,” Paul Whittall said. “Without a doubt I would rather stay here; it might be draconian but people are calm, there are significantly more measures in place.

What a load of bollllox. These types of posts from nationals when they don't know the score get my back up. You'll always get the odd numpty that flouts the rules, but it is not utter chaos. Everywhere is dead. London is a ghost town. People are calm. The 'chaotic' scenes one might read in the tabloids is sensationalist tripe. Pattaya is chaos. Bangkok immigration is/was chaos. While I often think I'd prefer to be stuck there, I know where I'd rather be if the sh!t hits the fan and I need to go to hospital. Democratic society or one run by an army with an agenda...

Don't give up your day job, idiot.

3 hours ago, The Barmbeker said:

I am still amazed, how anyone can say "Thailand is working"!

They are still not testing, all the numbers they have are plucked out of thin air, they are absolutely unable to financially help their poor and they basically come up every day with 3 different plans, that will be revised 3 hours later!

How thick are your rosy glasses?

While I agree they should be doing more to help those in need due to poverty/unemployment. I do believe that the measures in place in Thailand are working more effectively than those in place in the UK. Of course, nobody in any country will ever know the true figures of those infected with Covid-19, it's just not possible. However, I do know that the people in Thailand have not been infected anywhere near to the extent of those in the UK. My mother-in-law had to visit the local government hospital a couple of nights ago due to an underlying medical condition (not due to Covid-19). It was clear to me that the hospital was not overrun with patients, the medical staff were not stretched to their limits. In fact, it was the quietest I'd ever seen it. That was enough evidence for me that the measures in place are working. At least in this province anyway.

I also prefer to be here. But not for the reasons he states.

I'd call "<deleted>" on that story if I was a Brit.

He admits he's had three flights cancelled, meaning he's tried, at least 3 times, to go back but was stymied. Now he's claiming he'd rather be here than there. Bull.

It's more likely that he has decided to stay because the gov't recently announced the Visa amnesties so he doesn't have to worry about overstay.

But that wouldn't make as good of a story then, would it ? Harder for a "freelance journalist" to sell a story about how he didn't put much effort into trying to get home when he could have but now that he doesn't have to worry about a Visa he's decided to extend his vacation.

Probably not even the Dorset Echo would pay for a story like that.

But one that is a backhanded slap to the NHS and the government, made by claiming someone would rather be in Thailand than the UK during the crisis ? Much better chance of selling that story.

Then again, I'm not a Brit and that term that starts with a "B" and ends in "ullocks" is apparently filtered by the program.

Fool!

Testing in Thailand is unreliable as at least they are not testing enough.

 

Ultimately if you catch coronavirus in Thailand I would NOT want to rely on Thai hospital treatment. Had many health issues and many times the expertise and treatment has been 3rd rate. In all hospitals a try this approach and come back and we will try again!

 

The enormous potential cost to get treated at hospital. Doesn't bear thinking about.

 

2nd class as a foreigner if the 5hit hits. 

 

No thanks. I flew back to uk in February and been much more relaxed here. Very happy with my decision. If I catch it I will have good free treatment as NHS has not been overrun. I will stay here relieved to be in UK until a vaccine arrives.

total garbage

 

he has had 3 flights cancelled he did not cancel them so he cannot be out of pocket

Ok Thailand is not doing a truck load of testing

 

maybe it does not have to

 

Of course if we look at past Dengue outbreaks we know Thailand likes to 'ahem' downplay the figures
but in General SE Asia has significantly  low numbers of infection and death so its ok

 

I think the main difference is media they can print anything they like in the UK and the trash media is part of the whole UK mentality problem.
In every country there are morons 
and in the UK Boris takes top spot 
then their close down is not 100% sports direct B&Q etc you can still go shopping for DIY where as in SE ASia you gotta use Lazada

Id rather be in Thailand too rather than UK the viral numbers speak for themselves
they are still mulling over if the public should be made to wear a mask

out of UK & better for for it.
 

5 hours ago, petermik said:

I,m sure many will agree...others will not though....horses for courses and all that

 

p.s. he,s not been sponsored by the P.M. here by any chance...

perhaps a little backstreet boom boom is making his stay here more enjoyable than Weymouth.

26 minutes ago, domgaf said:

While I agree they should be doing more to help those in need due to poverty/unemployment. I do believe that the measures in place in Thailand are working more effectively than those in place in the UK. Of course, nobody in any country will ever know the true figures of those infected with Covid-19, it's just not possible. However, I do know that the people in Thailand have not been infected anywhere near to the extent of those in the UK. My mother-in-law had to visit the local government hospital a couple of nights ago due to an underlying medical condition (not due to Covid-19). It was clear to me that the hospital was not overrun with patients, the medical staff were not stretched to their limits. In fact, it was the quietest I'd ever seen it. That was enough evidence for me that the measures in place are working. At least in this province anyway.

lol There weren't any measures there until recently. What's happening in the major centres of the west can't be correlated with places in the east that do not get the same amount of international movement. Reckon that goes hand-in-hand with how cultures meet and greet, so fates were sealed long before any measures anywhere were introduced. The hospitals are not overrun here either. Obviously covid is an issue, but A&E and other departments are very quiet, which would be logical for any place.