Quarantine camp for COVID-19 infected migrant workers in Bangkok proposed

[webfact]

Myanmar migrant workers register for testing at a Covid-19 coronavirus mobile testing clinic in Pathum Thani province on January 10, 2021. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)

 

The advisory committee of Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has recommended that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) set up a special camp for the quarantine of COVID-19 infected foreign migrant workers, to cope with increasing number of cases, CCSA Spokesman Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin said today (Thursday).

 

The advisory panel, led by Clinical Professor Emeritus Dr. Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, cited the model in Pathum Thani province, where an old market has been converted into a field hospital, barricaded from all sides, to accommodate migrant workers who tested positive for the disease.

 

According to the advisory committee, there are an estimated 1.3 million legal migrant workers in Bangkok and its peripherals, including 580,000 in Bangkok, 230,000 in Samut Sakhon, 160,000 in Samut Prakan, 130,000 in Pathum Thani, 99,000 in Nonthaburi and 93,000 in Nakhon Pathom.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/quarantine-camp-for-covid-19-infected-migrant-workers-in-bangkok-proposed/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-05-21

 

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[blackcab]

7 minutes ago, webfact said:

...barricaded from all sides

 

Did anyone else read that and have an image of a prison in their mind?

[ourmanflint]

Just when you thought Thailand couldn't be any more racist and xenophobic. This is truly disgusting.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, blackcab said:

 

Did anyone else read that and have an image of a prison in their mind?

Belson?

[mtls2005]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

According to the advisory committee, there are an estimated 1.3 million legal migrant workers in Bangkok and its peripherals,

 

At yesterday's english-language CCSA briefing, the spokesman mentioned this 1.3 million LEGAL figure.

 

He also mentioned another 1.3 (or 1.5?) million ILLEGAL workers.

 

Kind of surprised he said that out loud. Oops.

 

To be fair, these people are already organized into camps, operated by the employer (probably through a shady thrid-party), for which rent is docked from their pay.

 

Maybe better to keep them in place for 10-14 days, rather than organizing yet another camp and moving tens of thousands of people (lots of young infants and children in the camps BTW) all around? 

[Cake Monster]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

To be fair, these people are already organized into camps, operated by the employer (probably through a shady thrid-party), for which rent is docked from their pay.

 

Maybe better to keep them in place for 10-14 days, rather than organizing yet another camp and moving tens of thousands of people (lots of young infants and children in the camps BTW) all around? 

Many  of these Camps are on land that is rented by the Employer from the landowner for the purpose of a Workers Camp.

The Owners provide very little in the way of amenities. Maybe just the Minimum of Access,

Water is Tankered in at the Renters cost, so often there is little or non at all, and what Water there is , is usually comes from a dubious source to keep costs down.

The Workers are charged Rent and a Water Fee as well as for Electric ( all prices hiked up )

Most camps have an on site 7/11 / convenience store ( read as tin shed store ) run by a relative of the Contractor, that sells the bare essentials at a hiked up prices to the residents of the Camps, and the goods are paid directly from their wages at the end of the Month, as are all other deductions.

These Camps really are Hell Holes, with no regulations attached to them at all, and to make a Large Quarantine Camp would in some ways be better than the conditions most  of these Workers endure now on a daily basis.

At least they would have clean, sanitary living conditions, and presumably some decent Food, as well as the medical Care needed.

 

[Caldera]

A "special camp" that is "barricaded from all sides". A makeshift prison, in other words.

[Surelynot]

Used to walk passed ones of these every day.....as people say.....hell holes.......a huge one is due to be built on our Soi in the heart of Nana........fortunately our rental is almost up......will be moving on.

[richard_smith237]

Surely a more simple and effective solution is to vaccinate all in these area’s of high density living immediately. 

 

Bring the solution to the problem rather than export the problem to a different area. 

 

Perhaps Thailand is already doing that, i.e. vaccinating Slum Area’s - but a key area of migrant workers is missing in this solution. 

 

Migrant workers are also fearful of expulsion when many of them are undocumented, these people also need reassurance that they will be vaccinated and not penalised. 

 

Thailand needs Vaccine Amnesties - with thousands of vaccines (i.e. Vans) to go travel around each of the factories and ensure all workers are vaccinated. 

 

 

 

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Surely a more simple and effective solution is to vaccinate all in these area’s of high density living immediately. 

 

And lock them up for the 2 weeks plus for the immunity to kick in.

[Excel]

13 hours ago, blackcab said:

 

Did anyone else read that and have an image of a prison in their mind?

Sounds more like it will be concentration camps in all but name. Getting very sinister