Public suicide bid as millions of Thais wait for virus aid

By Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Orathai Sriring

 

FILE PHOTO: People line up for free food at a slum area following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand April 25, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A woman who took rat poison this week outside Thailand's finance ministry over the slow rollout of aid during the coronavirus lockdown was promised on Tuesday she would get her money soon. For millions of other Thais, the waiting continues.

 

Thailand announced last month it would give 15,000 baht ($462.82) to those whose jobs have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak and containment measures, which included orders for malls and other businesses to shut down a month ago.

 

The relief, worth $7.4 billion in all, has not come fast enough for many Thais, whose everyday struggles have been worsened by sudden lack of income when domestic economic activities came to a halt.

 

The woman who poisoned herself on Monday was protesting against the long process for an application she had submitted a month ago, accusing the government of disregard for her plight.

 

She is recovering in hospital and will receive her payment by Wednesday, a finance ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

 

Attachak Sattayanurak, a lecturer at Chiang Mai University whose academic research on the urban poor has led him to meet many Thais who applied to the aid programme, said the woman who took the poison symbolised a far bigger problem.

 

"The public suicide attempt reflected absolute despair of one small person trying to send a message that the government doesn't take care of ordinary people," he said.

 

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said in a televised address on Tuesday that he was well aware of the struggles people were facing, particularly those on low incomes.

 

"We're taking care of people from all sectors, whether farmers, freelancers, formal or informal labourers," he said.

 

Business groups have estimated that 10 million people, or 26% of the country's workforce, will have been out of work if the outbreak drags on a few months, due to restrictions on sectors including retail and construction.

 

In all, 24 million people applied for the relief aid and as of this week, 7.5 million have received the first of three monthly payments of 5,000 baht ($154.27), Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana said on Tuesday.

 

A total of 16 million applications were found to meet the criteria, but only 10.6 million of them have been approved, while the rest are still being evaluated, the minister said.

 

The government on Tuesday lifted the maximum number of workers able to get the benefits to 16 million from 14 million and also pledged help for 10 million farmers separately.

 

Thailand has pledged measures worth at least 2.4 trillion baht ($74.05 billion), equal to more than 14% of the country's GDP, to help individuals and businesses affected by the pandemic.

 

University lecturer Attachak said Thailand needed to act fast.

 

"The COVID-19 outbreak has made inequality in Thailand more stark ... Those in need must be helped across the board and promptly," he said.

 

Economists forecast a grim year ahead with the worst contraction since the 1997/98 Asian financial crisis due to a decline in exports and prolonged impact on tourism, a growth engine for Southeast Asia's second-largest economy.

 

"All these will be further exacerbated by lockdown measures which disrupt domestic economic activities," said Nomura economist Charnon Boonnuch.

The country has so far recorded 2,938 cases of COVID-19 and 54 deaths.

 

($1 = 32.4100 baht)

 

(Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Orathai Sriring; Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Kay Johnson and Philippa Fletcher)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-29

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Good article.

 

"The public suicide attempt reflected absolute despair of one small person trying to send a message that the government doesn't take care of ordinary people," he said.

I wonder if this desperation and en mass discontents and disapproval of the government mishandling the situation will somehow translate it self to an attempt to change the government some time in the future or that the public will shrug it off as business as usual...

1 hour ago, webfact said:

"The public suicide attempt reflected absolute despair of one small person trying to send a message that the government doesn't take care of ordinary people,"

100% it doesn't, and it's not going to change a lot in the foreseeable future.

It's quite horrific what people are doing in desperation, because they have not got enough satang to put food on the table.

Setting a bit of a precedent, attempted suicide,tough way to try to get some money.

 

 "She is recovering in hospital and will receive her payment by Wednesday, a finance ministry spokesman said on Tuesday."

 

No doubt  actual suicides rising as people are desperate, very sad times and this government should be ashamed- but I doubt it.

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

I wonder if this desperation and en mass discontents and disapproval of the government mishandling the situation will somehow translate it self to an attempt to change the government some time in the future or that the public will shrug it off as business as usual...

You can beat a dog for a long, long time before it turns around and fights and bites.

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

I wonder if this desperation and en mass discontents and disapproval of the government mishandling the situation will somehow translate it self to an attempt to change the government some time in the future or that the public will shrug it off as business as usual...

 My guess sooner rather than later Bangkok is in for a turbulent time should they decide a mobilisation is in order. 

This poor ladies attempt, the widespread desperation it highlights, and Attachak Sattayanurak's comments underline the desperate tragedy which has been inflicted on this country by the way in which the "lockdown" has been implemented.

 

On a note of dark humour, the headline, in isolation, could be read as a commentary on the regime's actions!

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

I wonder if this desperation and en mass discontents and disapproval of the government mishandling the situation will somehow translate it self to an attempt to change the government some time in the future or that the public will shrug it off as business as usual...

Probably one of the reason the emergency has been extended as well the curfew, they know there is a "silenced" mass discontent.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

7.5 million have received the first of three monthly payments of 5,000 baht

words only - how could anyone verify this

1 hour ago, Thailand said:

Setting a bit of a precedent, attempted suicide,tough way to try to get some money.

 

 "She is recovering in hospital and will receive her payment by Wednesday, a finance ministry spokesman said on Tuesday."

 

No doubt  actual suicides rising as people are desperate, very sad times and this government should be ashamed- but I doubt it.

everyone now knows how to make sure they get what is owed to them from the so called rich financial powerhouse Thailand 

 

and lets not forget that the growing sentiment being narrated by the authorities is - that it is farang's fault for this suffering, I am almost embarrassed now to go to the supermarket for supplies while passing long lines of starving people queuing up for food handouts   - I can feel a thousand eyes staring at me with my bags full 

5 minutes ago, smedly said:

everyone now knows how to make sure they get what is owed to them from the so called rich financial powerhouse Thailand 

One day maybe but in the near to medium future highly unlikely.

The Thai people take a lot of hardship and grief before responding but one thing they will not accept and that is going hungry while Government does not.. Under the current situation, it is very possible that suicides outnumber Covid-19 deaths. If that is so, then any Government should be ashamed and change direction at earliest opportunity.

13 hours ago, ezzra said:

I wonder if this desperation and en mass discontents and disapproval of the government mishandling the situation will somehow translate it self to an attempt to change the government some time in the future or that the public will shrug it off as business as usual...

Maybe that's one reason why the emergency decree has been enforced, and the lockdown measures are so strict, somebody worried about the people rising up?

7 minutes ago, ross163103 said:

Maybe that's one reason why the emergency decree has been enforced, and the lockdown measures are so strict, somebody worried about the people rising up?

I don't think we will see the military on the streets to help the people.

Look at the faces in the food queues.  That is the look of despair,  no bright future and....discontent.  How long before the scrounged bottles filled with benzine are lit and thrown among those who care little or not at all for the lowest peasants with no hope and nothing to lose???

7 minutes ago, Grumpy John said:

That is the look of despair

and more importantly - massive loss of face

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

I wonder if this desperation and en mass discontents and disapproval of the government mishandling the situation will somehow translate it self to an attempt to change the government some time in the future or that the public will shrug it off as business as usual...

From what i hear, there are rumblings of something happening when this state of emergency ends. 

This is no government.. Keep that in mind. It's a crime against Thais there's been many. She had to kill herself to get paid. This may set a trend 

My wife was denied the money for "being an agricultural worker," though she worked in a hotel.  They don't even have a roof-garden.

 

She and her family won't be missing any meals, thanks to my presense.  But Immigration is working to put a stop to that, by my denying legit-extension applications - year after year, one office to the next, for "unpublished requirements" that vary by office.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

A woman who took rat poison this week outside Thailand's finance ministry over the slow rollout of aid during the coronavirus lockdown was promised on Tuesday she would get her money soon.

They told her she’ll get her money soon, huh? I bet she feels much better now. 
 

This government has no idea about how their economy works and how many people work in informal jobs. Did they really think it would just be a couple of million people needing this money? Because I knew it would be tens of millions of people. 

6 hours ago, ezzra said:

I wonder if this desperation and en mass discontents and disapproval of the government mishandling the situation will somehow translate it self to an attempt to change the government some time in the future or that the public will shrug it off as business as usual...

shrug it off

42 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

They told her she’ll get her money soon, huh? I bet she feels much better now. 
 

This government has no idea about how their economy works and how many people work in informal jobs. Did they really think it would just be a couple of million people needing this money? Because I knew it would be tens of millions of people. 

They have a very good idea..... they just don't give a feg, the poor have hunger, the government has the boys in green.

since the daily suicide rate now is higher than the virus death toll ( officially at least?), perhaps it is time to think again about that extra month lockdown....and suppose to have a 3rd one too, if promised 5000thb x3?

 

wonder if this lockdown working so great, will Prayuth consider to fix the road accidents rate by banning cars?

with average death rate about 60-70 per day, it looks a lot more deadly than the mere 54 covid dead in 6 weeks.

 

7 hours ago, ezzra said:

I wonder if this desperation and en mass discontents and disapproval of the government mishandling the situation will somehow translate it self to an attempt to change the government some time in the future or that the public will shrug it off as business as usual...

I hope the change doesn't come via another coup.

8 hours ago, webfact said:

In all, 24 million people applied for the relief aid and as of this week, 7.5 million have received the first of three monthly payments of 5,000 baht ($154.27), Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana said on Tuesday.

 

A total of 16 million applications were found to meet the criteria, but only 10.6 million of them have been approved, while the rest are still being evaluated, the minister said.

I'm actually impressed that they were able to deal with that volume of applications.  The fact that they have approved over 10 million applications is worth of some congratulations.   Can you imagine the amount of fraudulent attempts there might be? 

 

A poor country like Ireland is giving all the citizens affected €350 a week and Thailand has a problem with €35 a week a 10th. 

5 hours ago, Thailand said:

I don't think we will see the military on the streets to help the people.

But you may see the military on the streets to control the slowly simmering class of poor and hungry.

7 hours ago, ross163103 said:

Maybe that's one reason why the emergency decree has been enforced, and the lockdown measures are so strict, somebody worried about the people rising up?

Probably why there are no student flash mobs.

8 hours ago, rkidlad said:

They told her she’ll get her money soon, huh? I bet she feels much better now. 
 

This government has no idea about how their economy works and how many people work in informal jobs. Did they really think it would just be a couple of million people needing this money? Because I knew it would be tens of millions of people. 

Yes