SURVEY: How would you rate Thailand's overall Covid response?

[Scott Tracy]

5 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

Too early to compare. All the plaudits were out last year about how well Thailand had coped. Seems they were not coping at all. Put simply, Covid19 just had not arrived and taken hold. This seems to be Thailand's first wave. On current figures, they are not doing well.

 

I recall the WHO and other so called reputable organisations heaping huge praise on the government last year.

Where are the plaudits now? They were lulled into a false sense of security and hubris is a bitch. It can't happen here, it's too hot. Well, karma came and bit you in the <deleted>.

 

 

 

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

There have been boom times in the Thai economy for decades with tourism, how have these people not been able to plan for lean times? 

And here goes another ridiculously cynical and incompassionate ThaiVisa cliche.  They should have saved for a rainy day, of course!!

You do realise the tourism industry is not just hotel owners right?  So all the receptionists, cleaners, dish washers, cooks, check-in staff, security staff, drivers, waitresses and all the other hundreds of thousands of people on low wages supporting the tourist industry - they should all have saved enough to support themselves for over a year.  Of course!!  If only everyone was as smart as you with their money.  Put yourself in their shoes for a month and you would have a very different - and less cruel - perspective (but maybe not as so many people on here are truly blinkered with anti-Thai sentiment).

[Dickp]

The whole vaccine fiasco wiped out any chance of reaching a decent outcome until the end of 2022. The government is controlling all the ordering and so far has placed any orders with US for it's vaccines All get from the larges Bangkok Hospital is every day Have gotten any Information the Ministry of Public Health Check our web site for corvid 19 UP dates ( the last real update was May 2021) So Now I call everyday, all I what to do is register for any vaccine for my age group 78. I sent this e mail to my Rep and two Senator's

 

The Honorable Maria Cantwell

The United State Senate                                                                  4 July 2021

 

Dear Senator Cantwell

I am write-in to info you plus request that you take action to make an acceptation on a policy of the State Department. This is a once in a lifetime scenario that requires its exact circumstances to be recognized and one for the United State Department along with the US Government to address with haste and resolution as stated by the US Embassy: “The U.S. Department of State is unable to provide vaccines to the millions of Americans who reside outside of the United States”. Michael G. Heath wrote I am optimistic that vaccine availability in Thailand will increase as the fruits of American technology are made available to the world. Thought they were able to take care of their own, more the 600 American staff Plus family members about 1500, Plus local staff of 4000 +. We the US citizens have NOT received any of the American technology fruits (vaccines).

America citizens are not going to be vaccinated in the near future in Thailand, even the government admits that the vaccine need now will not arrive until next year, as they have not even place any orders for US vaccine yet. Chine vaccine orders but no America. It is for this reason; I believe that sending vaccines to Thailand would be more than gestural, in fact necessary. It doesn't need planeloads of nurses and equipment and beds, no doctors, no hospitals, just the vaccines - how difficult is that be. The Chinese and French have just sent a consignment to Private Hospitals in Thailand who have administered the vaccines French said on21 June 2021 that would vaccinate their citizens and on 27 June 2021 they were doing it? We know it is not problems US Government policy to help US citizens with medical problems but policy can be changed to take account of what is actually happening here right now? After all, Thai Government and Health Authorities are changing their policy. Yet USA and other national’s citizens cannot even be place on a registration list so that USA and Thai government and Private Hospitals will know how many people what the vaccine. We need Modern, J&J, and Pfizer or if they are any left AstraZeneca after the US sent it to many countries around the world but not here.

This is war! It’s a war already a more than a 2 year still raging, where the enemy is invisible! But we do know the enemy doesn't like vaccine.

We are not asking for the US medical staff to do anything. The Chinese and French have just sent a consignment of vaccines to Private Hospitals in Thailand who have administered the vaccines, and work just fine The Russians and the Belgian governments are also making preparation to do the same, just send the vaccine and the local hospitals will do the work.

Are US expats not eligible for US aid in a pandemic? It is an unthinking and cruel policy that prevents this! The US can send a carrier fleet to the region, but not and Plane loaded with vaccine, why not vaccines?

In just six months the US government has become less capable then the French, Chinese, Russians and the Belgian governments, how quickly one nation can fall and look weak to the rest of the world. And yes I would like to know how YOU stand on this issue.

 

Do no think it will help but caught to try rather then do nothing.

[daejung]

7 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Still have some of the lowest numbers of cases and lowest deaths from Covid 19 in the world, despite having one of the lowest vaccination rates......so they must be doing something right. 

 

How about comparing UK, America or your home countries figures before saying how poorly Thailand is handling things?

I do not believe their statistics. It's not like in democracies

[connda]

2 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

I don’t trust this negative poll result better let Nida organize it and i bet that nothing will be ranked under the 4 stars. ????

This is not an unbiased poll.  Everyone knows the composition of the sample here at TV (errr, Aseanwhatever).  But this doesn't claim to be unbiased and representative like many "official" polls which read like tainted manure.  This poll could say at the top: Within Our Community of Expats - What Say You?

[billd766]

2 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

Comments like this really irritate me.  "It's all about the money", "Chasing the dollar" etc.  You do realised many people have lost their entire income for over a year, right?  People on the tourist islands have lost everything.  It is not greed, or chasing dollars, it is trying to allow people to survive.  Lose your job, lose your source of income for over a year and you would be crying for help too.  

 

Have some compassion for God's sake.

Do you think that only the people on the islands have lost their livelihood?

 

There are millions of people all over the country in the same position, yet the government only appears to be helping a very small minority. If the sandbox is a success do you think that any of the income will be spread equally across the other 70 odd provinces of Thailand.

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

And here goes another ridiculously cynical and incompassionate ThaiVisa cliche.  They should have saved for a rainy day, of course!!

You do realise the tourism industry is not just hotel owners right?  So all the receptionists, cleaners, dish washers, cooks, check-in staff, security staff, drivers, waitresses and all the other hundreds of thousands of people on low wages supporting the tourist industry - they should all have saved enough to support themselves for over a year.  Of course!!  If only everyone was as smart as you with their money.  Put yourself in their shoes for a month and you would have a very different - and less cruel - perspective (but maybe not as so many people on here are truly blinkered with anti-Thai sentiment).

You are asking us to be compassionate for people when their own compatriots and government don't give a fig.

 

In your opinion they have a divine right to all this tourist money. Well, reality is that they don't. Most of them took the easy path of relying on visiting foreigners to milk for an income.

 

Yes, they should have saved for a rainy day, they should be able to plan their finances responsibly instead of buying vehicles they can't afford and eating out every single night of the week.  

 

If the billionaire owned hotels don't pay their workforces enough to save even if they had a modicum of fiscal sense to do so then they need unions and they need to be demanding fairer treatment with higher wages.

 

All this has already happened in Western countries so why has it never happened here?

 

Then we have to ask what is the Thai government doing to ease the economic hardship for these people?

 

Not a lot it appears other than empty platitudes.

[Blumpie]

I'd rate it like going to a bar and ordering.

It would be getting a Beer Lao made in China with a side of dog intestines.  

[bermondburi]

3 hours ago, Presnock said:

At first Thailand got lucky especially with all the Wuhan visitors here.  However they sat on their <deleted> so to speak following that and didn't watch the rest of the world and the variants of the virus.  Then it began to bite them and instead of doing real widespread testing they only tested in the cluster areas which showed that the virus was spreading.  Lockdowns only work if there is enough testing to show a spread.  However even then, instead of getting vaccines Thailand continued to wait until they could produce some locally but it is way too late now and only a small portion of the population has had 2 jabs.   Seeing that studies are showing that even those that have had their shots can still get the virus and pass it on to others.  Yes, the infection will be less life threatening to the carrier but they can still pass it on to others.  Asia right now is blowing up with the new D variant and I hope it doesn't spread here anytime soon but I really have to believe that it is here already and we just have to wait and hope we practice good avoidance measures until all of us can access quality vaccines whether we have to pay for them or not.  Good luck in avoidance to all.  Good Luck to the Thai government in responding to the spreading virus.

Paragraphs fella, paragraphs....

[bermondburi]

6 stars. Thailand has done a great job.

 

And anyone not happy with the way things are here should leave immediately. 

[Marco100]

Think Thailand managed first wave quite well but has underestimated first the Alpha Variant and second the Delta Variant. 

November last year Thailand should have been approving Private Hospitals to acquire Vaccines of their choice and make them available on top of the Government Vaccine Program to vaccinate as large population as possible. 

As the Delta Variant is mainly in the Bangkok region they should avoid Bangkokians to spread it to the rest of the County  .

[Jingthing]

It's like they were barely even thinking about mass vaccinations before a crisis hit. What's the opposite of proactive? 

Edited July 4, 2021 by Jingthing

[MayBeNow]

Thailand does very very well compared to the West and does well compared to their neighbours. Few sick people and few deaths. Ofcourse each death is sad and a tragedy and might have been prevented, might.. Yes i say few deaths because if covid would really be a classic pandemic we would see not less then 0.3% of the population dying but 20% plus.

 

In my opinion they are completely right not to lockdown. The economic costs of locking down is just too big compared to the benifit of an X amount of old and mostly frail people not dying from covid.

 

If Thailand would have bought vaccines earlier fewer people would have died or will die in the coming months before Thailand reaches the target of having 70% of the population vaccinated. Thats a mistake. It seems to be a direct result of the Thai sense of exceptionalism. They seem to have been thinking covid would not reach them because they were cleaner, socially distanced better and whatever reasons, This is Thailand.

 

The Thai vaccination roll out is gaining pace. Almost all my wife's friends were vaccinated weeks ago. Two months ago her aging parents got a house visit in Lamphun asking if they wanted the vaccination (sinovac), which they declined. A month ago they changed their minds and were vaccinated.

 

All in all Thailand does quite ok in my opinion.

Edited July 4, 2021 by MayBeNow

[PB172111]

10 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

Too early to compare. All the plaudits were out last year about how well Thailand had coped. Seems they were not coping at all. Put simply, Covid19 just had not arrived and taken hold. This seems to be Thailand's first wave. On current figures, they are not doing well.

 

Time will tell.

They are not doing too bad when compared to UK cases yesterday being back up to 20,000+.

Admittedly the figures are still rising.

 

[PB172111]

10 hours ago, BKKTRAVELER said:

It all went wrong when they allowed Songkran to happen despite the fact that the 3rd wave had already started and with the UK strain to make it worse... Before that, they were managing the situation somehow.

It would appear that the majority of posts are from people whose home Countries absolutely $###$$$ed it up.

[Jingthing]

5 minutes ago, PB172111 said:

It would appear that the majority of posts are from people whose home Countries absolutely $###$$$ed it up.

Irrelevant. 

[Artisi]

10 hours ago, Lacessit said:

You have spelled it correctly, and I agree. The two mistakes the government has made is not ordering vaccines as soon as they were available, and allowing travel during Songkhran. That well and truly unbolted the stable door.

Perhaps it was also a mistake getting themselves vaccinated, and flaunting the fact. That must be creating a lot of resentment among Thais who are unemployed due to their incompetence.

 

Yes, it was spelt correctly, but a very poor word choice to describe the absolute balls up. 

[sezze]

Seeing all the data we got , Thailand for 1 reason or another , had very low cases in all 2020 . Compared to the West , they must have done something right . They have done a good job, maybe by luck , maybe the culture , maybe the regulations , maybe ... idk , but it surely was the right thing .

Now we are 2021 , and then we got a different situation . And this is a clear flaw , since they did not buy vaccines , when they were approved . While the West was aiming there , since they could barely control the numbers by semi lockdowns , they went full steam ahead in vaccination since it would be the only way out . That other countries did not go there , is imho very stupid , since in what point did they think it would go away by itself with the borders closed and rules ? Even China with hard lockdowns did see this . This is/was going to stay , so unless you shut yourself down for ever ( unless it mutates in a less harmful form ) , then the only way out was/is vaccination . So big down there on the vaccination part .

Having said that , i truly find that every person should be vaccinated , unless they want the world to stay as it is right now . If you cannot take , due to medical background , then no problem , but everybody else should be mandatory vaccinated . If people do not see now that it is the only way out , then you surely must be dreaming .

[BKKTRAVELER]

42 minutes ago, PB172111 said:

It would appear that the majority of posts are from people whose home Countries absolutely $###$$$ed it up.

Thought it was about Thailand though...

 

Despite of international influence, things were under control until last Songkran, which shouldn't have happened. Now, it is looking like we are going toward the countries you mentioned.

[Jeff Proulx]

IMHO, the government did a good job from last year until this year (2021) at Songkran when they did not cancel the festivities and when it was discovered that they (allegedly ????) lied about letting the private hospitals import vaccine all the way back in February, when in fact, the government was not allowing hospitals to do so. (note: we have to thank the Princess Chulabhorn and her hospital for disregarding the government and importing Sinopharm on her own, hence forcing the government to relax its restrictions and improve this situation...)

 

As a foreigner living in Thailand, I understood from the start that I would have to pay for the vaccine but by preventing private hospitals from buying their own supply, the government caused confusion as to whether or not I could get the vaccine in Thailand and forced me and my wife to go back to our country to get it. Now that we are in our home country (in fact, we are still on our 14-day mandatory quarantine at home upon arrival), we already have our scheduled appointments for the Moderna vaccine as soon as our quarantine is over (July 12th) and we will wait until things improve in Thailand before returning as we see no reason to go back into lockdown in Thailand when they are being lifted here.

 

Now, just imagine if they had left private hospitals import vaccines privately back in February? I would have surely paid much more than here ($0 here) but I would not have gone back to my home country this year, hence traveling and spending money in Thailand as opposed to spending it here. Of course, one person such as me does not make an economy run but how many others have decided to do the same? Now, multiply thousands of dollars by the number of expats who did the same and you end up with a significant impact on the Thai economy... ????

 

Notwithstanding all my rhetoric, my heart goes out to all the people in Thailand (from my friends to the people selling food in the streets) who suffer the consequences from this pandemic and I hope that Thailand gets better soon.

 

Anyways, stay safe... Outlast... Wear a mask! 

[Patong2021]

 

10 hours ago, Surelynot said:

The Chinese government saved Thailand.......they banned their own citizens from traveling here.......Prayut was more than happy to keep the borders open......it was only later on they closed the borders to other countries.

 

Only partly. Thank western countries for travel restrictions and flight suspensions. Remember that it was French and Italian tourists in Koh Samui who bring back Covid to EU. Many Europeans had come to  Thailand already infected and they give to other Europeans in resort areas.

 

8 hours ago, ourmanflint said:

I just hope the Thai people remember those that led this fiasco come the next elections. It has been painful to watch the unfolding of events in Thailand, when so much more could easily have been done. 

You are optimist, yes? Expecting elections? I don't think so.  

 

7 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Thailand does not have the same obesity problems that America has, and a large amount of deaths and other cases in the UK have been in the old folks nursing homes, which again Thailand does not have, most old folk in Thailand live with their families, though I did read of one old folks home in the Chaing Mai area.

 

It is not obesity in itself, but the diseases that accompany obesity. Disease like diabetes, heart disease, suppressed immune system.  Thailand has many health problems that make it high risk too.  look at diabetes - health estimates are; USA 10.5% population with diabetes. Thailand 9.6%.  India and China have big problems with diabetes too, but we see different outcomes. yes? It is how the countries  managed crisis, and Thailand did better job than USA on subject of slowing spread.

 

6 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

We re just getting started here in Thailand, UK and US are over the worst of it.

 

USA is not over the worst. Less than 50% of USA is fully vaccinated and it looks like vaccinations have slowed/stopped.  UK fully vaccinated is 50% but at least people still going for vaccinations. USA will be suffering for years to come if vaccination not increased.  I know that in Thailand vaccination rate of population will eventually be over 90%.

 

1 hour ago, Marco100 said:

Think Thailand managed first wave quite well but has underestimated first the Alpha Variant and second the Delta Variant. 

November last year Thailand should have been approving Private Hospitals to acquire Vaccines of their choice and make them available on top of the Government Vaccine Program to vaccinate as large population as possible. 

As the Delta Variant is mainly in the Bangkok region they should avoid Bangkokians to spread it to the rest of the County  .

 

Private purchase and distribution of vaccine is unethical and has failed. India had to stop the private distribution because it directed vaccine away from the  people who needed it most and gave it to low risk people because sole criteria was money to buy.  The western vaccine manufacturers are subject to western laws that act to stop corruption. To minimize risk of corruption, and to meet corporate ethical guidelines and in accordance with western government funding, they sell and distribute at government and international agency level. The preferred distribution non governmental  distribution route is Covax-Gavi. Thailand refused to be part of Covax and now its people cannot access the high quality vaccines this year.

[Buffy Frobisher]

The only way they could have succeeded was by mass random testing to catch the many asymptomatic super-spreaders and quarantine them, and they've failed at that miserably.

 

The numbers we're fed each day are confirmed cases, but based on the experience of other countries there are likely thousands or even tens of thousands of people roaming the country who have no idea they are infected, and spreading the virus. 

 

And until the Government wakeup and start spending on a massive national testing effort we'll continue to be shocked at how this Delta variant spreads, and kills.

 

Being very Australian: it's a bloody mess!

[josephbloggs]

5 hours ago, billd766 said:

Do you think that only the people on the islands have lost their livelihood?

 

There are millions of people all over the country in the same position, yet the government only appears to be helping a very small minority. If the sandbox is a success do you think that any of the income will be spread equally across the other 70 odd provinces of Thailand.

No, of course not, people throughout the nation have lost their income.  What is your point?

The sandbox is an experiment.  No one knows if it will work or not, that is why Phuket is a sandbox (there's a clue in the name).  Phuket was Thailand's major tourist destination so surely it makes sense to trial it there first?  

What on earth are you on about with the rest of your post?  

[josephbloggs]

4 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

 

 

In your opinion they have a divine right to all this tourist money. Well, reality is that they don't. Most of them took the easy path of relying on visiting foreigners to milk for an income.

 

Yes, they should have saved for a rainy day, they should be able to plan their finances responsibly instead of buying vehicles they can't afford and eating out every single night of the week.  

 

Ah, so the people on 15,000 thb per month are buying vehicles and eating out every day.  Instead they should have saved enough from 15k per month to last them through a year - just as you would have done.  Again I can only wish someone like you has to experience that kind of hardship, then come back to post to your other friends on TVF and tell them what it was like.  You have no idea.

You are obviously another old, bitter TVF poster with a victim complex.  Thinking people on 15k per month should be able to survive for a year with no income.....because they had it good and were buying cars and were preying on foreigners.  Pathetic.

 

Quote

If the billionaire owned hotels don't pay their workforces enough to save even if they had a modicum of fiscal sense to do so then they need unions and they need to be demanding fairer treatment with higher wages.

 

All this has already happened in Western countries so why has it never happened here?

Jeez, the billionaire hotel owners.  You are a very bitter man.  90% of the owners are small time - small hotels, guest houses.

And then your ridiculous - utterly ridiculous - claim that Western countries already decided people should be paid enough to be able to save for a year on zero income.  In the UK and USA waitresses and cleaners are paid $100k per year - thanks to Western governments!!

Not sure where you are from, but in the UK there is a shortage of staff after Brexit because there are no Eastern Europeans to work for a pittance.   Our fruit is rotting because our cheap Eastern European labour has gone.  In the US wait staff rely on tips because somehow the government allows them to be paid BELOW minimum wage.

So what was that about Western governments being better?  

[Albert Zweistein]

15 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

Jesus wept. So many miserable b*ggers on this website.

Right, and pecunia non olet.

[Scott]

Troll post removed.

 

[grain]

20 hours ago, JAS21 said:

Seems to me that last year they spent the time congratulating themselves on how well things were going when they actually were doing very little.

 

What a wasted opportunity or was it really a godsend because it stopped the protests.

 

Whatever the motives were, Thailand is right in the mire now.

"a godsend because it stopped the protests." Bingo.

[jacko45k]

9 hours ago, PB172111 said:

They are not doing too bad when compared to UK cases yesterday being back up to 20,000+.

Admittedly the figures are still rising.

 

As stated, vaccines do not really prevent infections, rather symptoms. The UK is showing an increase in hospitalizations, but not to the same degree, and deaths are remaining low. I am hoping and expecting UK infections to peak now....

In Thailand, more infections is going to mean more deaths. 

[DrJack54]

Today 6166

Death 50

 

Now rate the response to Covid.

[inThailand]

6 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Today 6166

Death 50

 

Now rate the response to Covid.

Doing better than this survey?