Thai PM says news of Egyptian delegation incident was like being hit by a plane

 

File photo from Thai Government

 

Thailand’s Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, said today he felt as though he had been hit by a plane when he learned of the Egyptian military mission’s transgression of Thailand’s health safety protocols, as a nation-wide search for people who were in close contact with the Egyptian soldiers was launched.

 

During his opening speech, at the launch of an economic model for sustainable development, organized by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovations on Wednesday, the Prime Minister explained his shock, after it was discovered that one member of the Egyptian military delegation, staying at a hotel in Rayong, was found to be infected with COVID-19, after several of them broke health regulations by visiting a local shopping mall.

 

He also expressed concern over the high-risk behavior of people frequenting night entertainment venues, warning them to exercise extra caution.

 

He stressed that it is everyone’s responsibility to prevent the spread of coronavirus, as he urged his fellow countrymen to use the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to work together in nation building.

 

Accompanied by Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and director-general of the Disease Control Department, the Prime Minister is due to fly to Rayong province by helicopter at 4pm today (Wednesday), to visit the Passione Mall, the D Varee Diva Central Rayong Hotel and a wet market, and to offer moral support to the townspeople.

 

Interior Permanent Secretary Chatchai Promlert issued an order today, to all provincial governors, to locate anyone in their respective provinces who was at Passione (formerly Laem Thong) Mall or D Varee Diva Central Rayong Hotel between July 8th and 10th and to ensure they are tested for COVID-19.

 

More than 1,000 residents of Rayong, including a van driver and a cabbie, have been given swab tests by health officials. Both the van driver, who took the Egyptians from U-tapao airport to the hotel, and the cabbie, who took some of the Egyptians from their hotel to the mall, have been cleared of the disease.

 

The honorary president of The Rayong Chamber of Commerce, Anuchita Chinsiriprapa, disclosed today that over 90% of hotel room and seminar bookings in the province have been cancelled, after news of the Egyptian incident went public.

 

She said, however, that hotel officials have tried to convince their customers, who made advance bookings, that their hotels are safe and not connected to the Egyptian delegation.

 

Source: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-pm-says-news-of-egyptian-delegation-incident-was-like-being-hit-by-a-plane/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-07-15

 

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i know the feeling. 

7 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Thai PM says news of Egyptian delegation incident was like being hit by a plane

now imagine the people directly involved, by your people's poor decision,  must feel

He must mean he felt like he was shot out of a cannon after Anutin started to yell "Dirty Foreigners"....

Night time venues getting a mention is a worrisome comment even after all the safety protocols being advertised 

Just now, Sharp said:

Night time venues getting a mention is a worrisome comment even after all the safety protocols being advertised 

hey he must believe they also visited a few ladies of the night and had a nightcap..

9 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

when he learned of the Egyptian military mission’s transgression of Thailand’s health safety protocols,

the Egyptian military didn't transgress the protocols, your people did by allowing them to go through. Virus doesn't know borders, doesn't differentiate rich or poor, black or white, the safety protocols should be enforced regardless who is coming, diplomatic or not, military or civil all should be checked the same way

24 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Both the van driver, who took the Egyptians from U-tapao airport to the hotel, and the cabbie, who took some of the Egyptians from their hotel to the mall, have been cleared of the disease.

Are they quarantining these drivers or re-testing after the 14-day incubation period?

Hit by a plane the PMs government allowed to land, disembark, and go shopping. The resulting chaos is going to result in even more suffering amongst people already teetering on the edge. At least he apologised for once, and it seems the loopholes are being closed.

Did he feel like he was hit by a plane when he heard the news or when he was told that he’d have to take responsibility for it? 

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

Thai PM says news of Egyptian delegation incident was like being hit by a plane

dont see why; thai people; thai government; what could go wrong ?

Haha hit my a plane.

 

As if something like this was never expected. Who would have thought!!??

 

Poor government is gobsmacked.

In reports on that other national English national newspaper that we must not quote, there seems to have been a sense coming out of government that the Egyptian embassy and officials were mostly to blame. If so the government should launch some kind of diplomatic reaction and let's see what the Egyptians' side of the story is.

 

No diplomatic reaction - OK then Thai officials must take the heat of Thai people's horror at this screw-up. Gonna get nasty if Rayong ultimately needs to lockdown again.

 

I think there is a term for the circumstances here that resulted in less stringent rules applying to visiting foreign government delegations. The government may have 'done a Cummings'!*

 

 

* Reference to the UK government adviser who, having helped the UK government to hoist rules upon the hoi polloi chose to select a more convenient version of policy for his own interests.

1 hour ago, rkidlad said:

Did he feel like he was hit by a plane when he heard the news or when he was told that he’d have to take responsibility for it? 

In reality he should have felt like being hit by a 10 ton boomerang, launched by himself or his acolytes.

38 minutes ago, SantiSuk said:

In reports on that other national English national newspaper that we must not quote, there seems to have been a sense coming out of government that the Egyptian embassy and officials were mostly to blame. If so the government should launch some kind of diplomatic reaction and let's see what the Egyptians' side of the story is.

 

No diplomatic reaction - OK then Thai officials must take the heat of Thai people's horror at this screw-up. Gonna get nasty if Rayong ultimately needs to lockdown again.

 

I think there is a term for the circumstances here that resulted in less stringent rules applying to visiting foreign government delegations. The government may have 'done a Cummings'!*

 

 

* Reference to the UK government adviser who, having helped the UK government to hoist rules upon the hoi polloi chose to select a more convenient version of policy for his own interests.

Ignore the first two paras of my post above - from reading a few ThaiV posts it seems clear that the report in that other national newspaper that The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) was deflecting blame towards the Egyptian Embassy on Tuesday has not carried forward to today's 'The Nation' reports (and elsewhere) whereby Prayut seems to be openly accepting the blame on the Thai government. Bully for him - even if it possibly results from some strong diplomatic interventions by the Egytptians overnight!

 I don't know why Thailand let in countries with high daily cases for the past month.

 

Egypt virus cases is on average 1000 new cases per day which is a lot.

 

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/egypt/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/15/egyptian-doctors-detained-for-highlighting-covid-19-working-conditions

 

Egypt is suffering from both a covid epidemic and a desire to avoid admitting to the reality of the situation, by any means. Their security apparatus is well versed in ensuring compliance as evidenced by the murder of the Italian student and subsequent denials by the state actors.

 

So, no real surprise at this incident and also, I believe, a number of covid cases of returning Thais from Egypt.

Agree Eric TH - particularly when it is clear that quite a few Thais returning form Egypt over recent weeks have subsequently tested positive. This was a delegation from a Covid ticking time bomb country. CCSA should have spoken up about the risks of government policy toward visiting delegations in the specific circumstances of an Egyptian visit. Maybe they did!

 

[Edit coterminous posting with dabhand's so some overlap]

 

 

Thailand  was acting in good faith. Yes, it was an error to trust the Egyptians, but Thailand's  hands were tied because of diplomatic and trade protocols intended to protect Thailand's political interests. Stop blaming Thailand because the Egyptians acted in a  dishonest and irresponsible manner. Every day, military and diplomatic personnel enter from other countries including Australia, Taiwan, Japan, USA etc. They  behave in a responsible and ethical manner in respect to self isolation and verification of infection status.

 

Had Thailand  imposed a different rule on the Egyptians, it would have been accused of prejudice and created an affront to north africans and arabs, and you know how people can over react. Egypt is bungling its pandemic and its people for the most part are oblivious. It therefore needs to be treated accordingly. Unfortunately the very same people so quick to  attack thailand on this would be the first to accuse Thailand of  being racist etc.  Now everyone has to suffer.  The reality is that some countries and cultures put the needs of others as a priority e.g.  Japan, while others do not. Keep in mind that certain French and Italian nationals were the cause of  Covid 19 infections  among their own country people when they visited Thailand.

5 minutes ago, dabhand said:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/15/egyptian-doctors-detained-for-highlighting-covid-19-working-conditions

 

Egypt is suffering from both a covid epidemic and a desire to avoid admitting to the reality of the situation, by any means. Their security apparatus is well versed in ensuring compliance as evidenced by the murder of the Italian student and subsequent denials by the state actors.

 

So, no real surprise at this incident and also, I believe, a number of covid cases of returning Thais from Egypt.

On a personal note, I was based in Cairo for over a decade up to 2014 and am well aware of their poor medical facilities. Indeed, around 2012 I was due to fly back to Cairo after a break in Thailand and came down with dengue fever (hemorrhagic) a couple of days before hand. Eventually, when I did return to Cairo. I asked our company doctor how I would have coped if the fever had started after returning to Cairo. His response was clear - first plane out to the UK, no question.

Sigh. 

 

 

I still remember the good old days when they were letting in thousands of Chinese tourists at the height of the pandemic, and all you needed was a certificate to say you were healthy (96 hours beforehand). 

 

 

 

Miss those days. 

6 hours ago, Mavideol said:

the Egyptian military didn't transgress the protocols, your people did by allowing them to go through. Virus doesn't know borders, doesn't differentiate rich or poor, black or white, the safety protocols should be enforced regardless who is coming, diplomatic or not, military or civil all should be checked the same way

Exactly The Thais screwed up big time 

Prayut like the Twin Towers

6 hours ago, Sharp said:

Night time venues getting a mention is a worrisome comment even after all the safety protocols being advertised 

Protocols being ignored more like it.

How were they not contained on U-tphao Navy Base as a military mission? Diplomatic clearances list all passengers/status are scrutinized and approved or disapproved in advance .  A few local news reports said all were reported as flight crew which have different rules.  30+ folks as flight crew?  Red flags should have went up if so. Some shiite in the wind here. 

1 minute ago, Saraburi121 said:

How were they not contained on U-tphao Navy Base as a military mission? Diplomatic clearances list all passengers/status are scrutinized and approved or disapproved in advance .  A few local news reports said all were reported as flight crew which have different rules.  30+ folks as flight crew?  Red flags should have went up if so. Some shiite in the wind here. 

If you watch what is going on - more and more people don't care anymore.

Far bigger planes coming to hit him.

Perhaps we could wish for him to visit lots of airfields with the fond hope that it might actually happen.

(Is that cryptic enough?)

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

He also expressed concern over the high-risk behavior of people frequenting night entertainment venues, warning them to exercise extra caution.

Errrrrr it was only the other day the reports were that the bars & nightlife were open but no customers - please make your mind up ........LOL

13 hours ago, Sharp said:

Night time venues getting a mention is a worrisome comment even after all the safety protocols being advertised 

Worrisome because they say no new infections since xxx days.This means they know their numbers are Bs